Tongue-tie

What is tongue-tie
Anklyoglossia is also know as tongue-tie. Tongue-tie is when the membrane connecting the underside of your baby’s tongue to the floor of the mouth is unusually short.

Is can result in a decreased mobility of the tip of the tongue and it can vary in degrees of severity. Some babies have just a bit more attachment than is ideal while other babies have a membrane that is attached all the way to the tip of the tongue. The tongue may have a heart shaped edge because the membrane is pulling the centre of the tongue back.

This condition is not uncommon and can run in families.

Will tongue-tie cause problems?
Opinion varies regarding how frequently tongue-tie truly causes problems. Some health professionals say it is rarely symptomatic while others believe it is associated with a variety of problems for example feeding, swallowing and speech.

Many cases of tongue-tie will correct themselves in the baby’s first 6 weeks following birth as the structure of the mouth changes.

Tongue-tie can sometimes interfere with breastfeeding.
The following are signs of tongue-tie interfering with breastfeeding:
While baby is feeding if he continuously breaks suction,
make clicking noises
has low weight gain
mum experiences significant nipple pain
or
mothers milk supply is slowing down
If you are at all concerned about your baby’s tongue-tie it is important to seek the advice of your midwife or doctor.
Even if the tongue-tie is not affecting baby’s feeding speak to you doctor as your doctor can help decide if it is serious enough to interfere with speech development later on.

Can tongue-tie be fixed?
Yes tongue-tie is easily corrected with a safe simple procedure called frenotomy. The doctor will numb the membrane with a topical anaesthetic and then snips the membrane with a scissors. It is a very quick procedure and parents have reported that their baby didn’t even cry during the procedure.