Tongue-tied baby may be less successful breastfeeder
Tissue's got your tongue?
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Is a pediatric gastroenterologist at the Children’s Center for Digestive Health Care / GI Care for Kids, whose books on nutrition for parents led him to start Nutrition4Kids with his co-founders.
Some babies are born "tongue-tied." Their tongues are tied down to the bottom of their mouths.
Photo Courtesy E Bauer MD
Tongue-tied babies often can't touch the roof of their mouths or use their tongues to push food back so they can swallow or latch on to breastfeed or successfully suck from a bottle.
Breastfeeding a tongue-tied baby can be painful, prolonged, or ineffective if the baby has trouble latching. A lactation consultant or an examining physician can help you identify if your baby is tongue-tied and steps that can be taken to resolve breastfeeding issues.
Dr. Erik Bauer, an Atlanta pediatric ENT indicates there's overwhelming success in improving tongue mobility (92-96% improvement) by just clipping the tight tissue. Many mothers are able to successfully continue to breastfeed at 3-4 months of age with improvements in feeding time, ease of feeding, and pain reduction.
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