Is Your Baby Tongue Tied?
Beginning a breastfeeding relationship with a newborn is never a totally smooth ride, even for mothers who have successfully breastfed older siblings. Each baby is different. But it’s not all a matter of finding the baby’s preferred position and encouraging the correct latch. Babies’ mouths come in different shapes and sizes, and sometimes have structural differences that make breastfeeding difficult. One of these challenges is baby tongue tied.
Tongue-tie, or ankyloglossia, is caused when the frenulum (membrane under the tongue) extends excessively toward the tip of the tongue. This causes great difficulty in breastfeeding because it restricts the baby’s ability to extend the tongue into the proper placement for an effective latch on the breast. Mothers who nurse tongue-tied babies usually have a lot of nipple soreness, and can even have bruising and breast damage. If left untreated, the milk supply will be reduced and the baby won’t gain adequate weight.
Because tongue-tied is hereditary, often more than one child in a family will have this condition. A mother may try breastfeeding her first baby, give up due to difficulties in latching, then have the same problem with subsequent babies. Fortunately, it’s easy to detect. Look at your baby’s tongue when he sticks it out – if you stick yours out at him, he’ll probably imitate. A baby with tongue-tied has a distinctive heart-shaped tongue, caused by the pull of the frenulum.
Sometimes baby tongue tied will resolve on its own, by stretching or tearing as the baby breastfeeds. To encourage this, try not to allow the baby to nurse with an improper latch. Most tongue-tied babies, however, will need to have their tongues clipped by a doctor. It’s a simple procedure that can be done during a normal office visit. Many pediatricians, however, may be reluctant to perform a frenotomy unless it interferes with speech development – parents may be advised to simply switch to bottlefeeding. Baby tongue-tied doesn’t interfere with bottlefeeding because the mechanics of suckling an artificial nipple are different, and the milk flows more easily. There’s also the possibility that your health insurance won’t cover it, especially if the pediatrician doesn’t stress the importance of breastfeeding to your child’s health. Don’t be discouraged, though. If you visit a lactation consultant, she may be able to convince your pediatrician of the procedure’s benefit or refer you to a different pediatrician.
Once the baby’s frenulum is clipped, breastfeeding may not immediately become easier. It may take some time for the baby to adjust to the tongue’s new range of motion. But it will improve, and not only will your baby breastfeed more easily, he’ll also have a lesser chance of having speech difficulties later on.
When my son was born, he nursed enthusiastically and continued to do so. I was blessed – or cursed, depending on how you look at it – with nipples that aren’t particularly sensitive to pain. But as my son grew, and his suckling became more vigorous, the improper latch caught up with me. About two weeks after his birth, I was almost ready to throw in the towel because I was in so much pain. A lactation consultant, however, spotted my son’s heart-shaped tongue and explained tongue-tie. Fortunately, his desire for breast milk was stronger than his frenulum and it tore away on its own. After a couple of weeks, the pain had diminished and nursing was a breeze. What a relief it was to find out that I wasn’t doing anything wrong, and there was nothing wrong with me!
Severe baby tongue tied, to the point that it interferes with speech or with eating, is uncommon. But it’s quite common for babies to have some degree of tongue-tie, and this condition is responsible for many mothers giving up during the first few weeks of nursing. If you’re having trouble establishing a proper latch, don’t rule out tongue-tie even if your baby’s tongue doesn’t appear distinctly heart-shaped – consult with a professional lactation consultant or other health care provider who is familiar with breastfeeding difficulties. Don’t let tongue tied infant interfere with your baby’s health – resolve the problem and reap the rewards.
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