Tongue-Tied?

What is a tongue-tie?

The medical term for tongue-tie is ankyloglossia which is derived from the Greek language meaning “stiff tongue”. This occurs when a fold of tissue under the tongue called the sublingual frenulum restricts the movement of the tongue. It’s this restriction of tongue movement which is thought to play a role in maternal nipple pain with breastfeeding, difficulty with latch, ineffective milk withdrawal, or baby’s ineffective mouth seal at the breast. Whether or not a baby is tongue-tied has become a hot topic of debate, and it unfortunately has become the scapegoat diagnosis for many breastfeeding difficulties hence my nickname “Diagnosis Du Jour” meaning diagnosis of the day.

True ankyloglossia depends on the interplay of length, thickness, elasticity, and position of the sublingual frenulum that may impede tongue movements. What should be realized is that the presence of a sublingual frenulum is NORMAL anatomy as it is supposed to serve as an anchor for the tongue just not interfere with normal tongue movements. Although there have been numerous publications written about tongue-tie over the last 20 years, diagnostic pitfalls remain which often can lead to overdiagnosis and overtreatment. There are however obvious cases of ankyloglossia in the infant where the sublingual frenulum is positioned so far forward where it attaches the tip of the tongue right behind or on the lower gumline. In these cases, the tongue truly does have restricted movement requiring a surgical release procedure called a frenotomy. How providers diagnose and decide if a baby requires a frenotomy as well as how to perform the frenotomy has been front and center of this controversial topic.

If you have been told your baby has a tongue-tie and would like a second opinion or are unsure if your baby has a tongue-tie, please schedule a Lactation Consultation. Go to www.milkwagon.net for more information about location, services, pricing. You can book an appointment on-line or call 307-212-8283