Are you having problems breastfeeding due to a “tongue-tied” baby”? This condition is called ankyloglossia and occurs in about 2% of infants. What this means is that the frenulum, which is the piece of tissue that connects the front portion of the tongue to the floor of the mouth is short and doesn’t allow the baby’s tongue to fully extend which can make breastfeeding painful. There are also frenulums connecting the lips to the upper and lower jaw bones which can sometimes cause problems. If you experience pain when your baby begins breastfeeding and the pain cannot be resolved with correcting the baby’s latch or other positional corrections, your baby may have a short frenulum. You can see if your baby has a short frenulum by looking at the shape of his or her tongue when his mouth is open. A baby whose frenulum is short has a heart-shaped tongue when he sticks it out because the tip is restricted to the floor of the mouth.
Ankyloglossia can be corrected very easily via an in-office procedure called a frenotomy. This procedure is painless with very minimal bleeding in newborns because the frenulum is not vascularized. I have experience performing frenotomies and have seen first-hand the instant relief the breastfeeding mother experiences following this quick and safe procedure. There are also many recent studies which show the benefit of this procedure outweighs the minimal risk involved. Also, if you have insurance coverage you may be eligible for reimbursement for the procedure. If you are thinking about switching to formula and your baby hasn’t been evaluated for ankyloglossia, come in for an appointment and you may walk out with a much more comfortable latch.
Dr. Jamie Brinkley, ND
References:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24937906