A breastfeeding consultant in Canada is accused of illegally practicing dentistry for recommending that a four-week-old undergo a tongue-tie surgery that resulted in the boy’s death, according to a story published September 9 on CTV News.
Quebec’s Order of Dentists has charged Marie-Ève Sturrock, a breastfeeding consultant from Quebec, with illegally determining a treatment plan and prescribing necessary procedures plus other charges related to the June 2023 death of Jules Beauchemin, according to the story.
The boy died shortly after Dr. Marie-Eve Gregoire, a dentist who operates a practice in Quebec City, performed the routine procedure.
Quebec’s Order of Dentists stated that Sturrock allegedly “unlawfully engaged in a professional activity reserved for members of that professional association, namely, diagnosing a patient’s impairments and illnesses during a consultation,” according to the story.
In June 2023, the infant's parents took him to Gregoire's office to learn more about frenotomies. The parents claim that Sturrock, the clinic's lactation consultant, explained that fixing their baby's tongue would improve breastfeeding, language development, and social skills later in life.
Immediately after Jules underwent a frenotomy, Nicolas Beauchemin, his father, said his son's health declined. He claims that his son's cries changed, he stopped breathing, and the couple was escorted to the hospital where the infant died.
In January 2025, Gregoire pleaded not guilty to six disciplinary charges, including recommending the procedure without complete knowledge of the facts, failure to fully inform the baby's parents about the risks and benefits of frenotomies, and allowing Sturrock, who is not a member of order of dentists, to describe the procedure.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
