A baby who has a tongue tie may have difficulty nursing or drinking from a bottle. In severe cases, the infant will not be able to gain weight and may be diagnosed with failure to thrive. Fortunately, this is a common and easily correctable problem. When an infant has this condition, it means that his or her tongue contains a thin piece of skin that is too short. This piece of skin, called the lingual frenulum, may inhibit movement of the baby’s tongue and make it difficult or impossible for him or her to suck and receive adequate nutrition.
How to Know if Your Baby Has a Tongue Tie
Since your baby cannot talk, you may just assume he or she is fussy and continue trying to breastfeed or offer a bottle. Some of the most common indications of tongue tie in infants includes the following:
- The baby is unable to push the tongue further than the lips
- The tip of the baby’s tongue may appear in the shape of a heart or look notched
- The baby cannot move his or her tongue sideways
- When the baby extends the tongue, the tip looks flat or square instead of pointed
A baby with a tongue tie will also have significant problems with breastfeeding. The most obvious ones include:
- The mother notices damage and pain to the nipple during and after feeding her baby
- The nipple appears misshapen after the baby has attempted to breastfeed
- A stripe or compression mark appears on the nipple after breastfeeding
- The infant quickly loses suction on the breast while feeding
- The mother hears a clicking sound while the baby is attempting to breastfeed
- An exclusively breastfed baby is in the lower percentile of weight for his or her age
What Happens During Tongue Tie Release Surgery
Frenectomy is the official name of the minor surgery that corrects a problem with tongue tie. If your baby needs this procedure, Dr. Adam Moore will first provide anesthesia to ensure that he or she does not feel any pain. You are welcome to hold your infant in your arms or have him or her sit in a car seat. After administering the anesthesia, Dr. Moore uses a scalpel to make an incision in the lingual frenulum to release the tie and then remove it. With infants, he may choose to simply clip the frenulum rather than remove it entirely.
Contact Moore Smiles to Schedule a Consultation for This Procedure
It is heartbreaking, not to mention stressful for the entire family when a baby cannot eat properly and therefore cries almost non-stop. We invite you to contact our office in Garner, North Carolina today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Moore to learn whether your infant is a good candidate for this procedure.
It is heartbreaking, not to mention stressful for the entire family when a baby cannot eat properly and therefore cries almost non-stop. We invite you to contact our office in Garner, North Carolina today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Moore to learn whether your infant is a good candidate for this procedure.
