In 2020, Ms. Lavelle raised concerns with the board about the trauma she experienced due to her daughter’s tongue-tie release.
The lactation board, which discloses its disciplinary actions, has not taken any action against Ms. Henstrom. Spokeswoman Susan Brayshaw declined to comment on the complaints, citing confidentiality policies. She mentioned that some complaints take longer to resolve due to the nature of the allegations and related investigations.
Since 2002, the board has only revoked the certifications of three lactation consultants.
Ms. Lavelle also filed a complaint against Dr. Zink with the Idaho board of dentistry. The board gathered medical records and statements from both parties. Dr. Zink stated that June’s procedure was “uneventful” and that a very small percentage of patients do not respond well to it. He noted that none of his other tongue-tie patients had previously complained.
The board’s executive director informed Ms. Lavelle via email that they did not feel further investigation was necessary and found that Dr. Zink was not at fault.
Towards the end of last year, Ms. Henstrom recommended tongue, lip, and cheek tie releases for an infant named Vivi. When Vivi’s mother, Aubrey Nobili, waited in Dr. Zink’s office, she could hear her baby screaming. When Vivi was brought back into the room, she was wailing and struggling to breathe. Ms. Nobili noticed a smell of burnt flesh and Vivi never breastfed again.
Six months later, a specialist at St. Luke’s evaluated Vivi because she was having trouble swallowing and sometimes choked while drinking from a bottle. The specialist’s medical records suggested that these issues were “likely due to” the laser surgery.
The Nobili family faced financial strain, racking up over $5,000 in credit card debt paying for Vivi’s feeding therapies. Vivi turned 1 in November, but she still can’t eat solid food.