Baby Tongue And Lip Ties

Symptoms And Remedies For Tongue And Lip Ties

Hi moms!  In researching baby health, I came across problems with
the lip and tongue. Lip ties and tongue ties.

I hope your baby doesn’t have these. If they do, maybe this post
can help.

I’ll go over what these are. Also the symptoms, and how you can
help treat baby.

A lip or tongue tie, even if it’s not painful or dangerous, can
affect baby’s quality of life.

Lip ties have not been studied as much as tongue ties, but
symptoms and treatment for both of them are similar.

Lip Ties

A lip tie is a thick tissue that connects the upper lip to the upper
gum, making any movement of the lip particularly difficult.

It restricts movement cause of its thickness, its tightness or both.
The lip tie does not allow full movement of baby’s upper lip,
making it more difficult to feed and speak for a baby.

See photo of a lip tie

Tongue Ties

Tongue ties are a lot like lip ties. It’s a thick tissue that connects
the bottom of the tongue to the floor of the mouth.

This too can make it harder for baby to feed. They are fairly
common with about 5% of babies having it.

See photo of a tongue tie

Symptoms

One of the most underdiagnosed conditions is a lip tie in babies.
Cause it is rare and most of its symptoms are similar to others, baby
lip ties can be missed by a baby doctor.

This is where you need to trust your mom’s instincts and write down
all the signs you see in your baby.

If there are lip or tongue ties, your baby will not only show
symptoms, but even you might feel and notice signs.

Moms experiences

Uncomfortable eating sessions

Mastitis

Low amount of milk

Flat folds or nipples after the meal

White stripe on the tip of the nipple

Clogged nipples

Painful breasts

Babies Experience

Babies with a lip tie can face a lot of problems in everyday life.

They can choke on food or spray their milk, which leads to lack of
nutrition.

They might find it hard to gain weight.

They are more likely to have an illness like jaundice.

They may have a hard time latching.

They might also feed less which can delay their development.

How To Diagnose Baby Lip And Tongue Ties

They can be found through a physical exam. Most pediatric
specialists can diagnose a lip or baby tongue tie based on the
appearance.

You can also visit an orthodontist specializing in infant dentistry for
a diagnosis and its severity.

Observing A Tongue Tie

“The tongue can’t poke out past the lips.

The tongue tip can’t touch the roof of the mouth.

The tongue can’t be moved sideways to the corners of the mouth.

The tongue tip may look flat or square instead of pointy when
extended.

The tongue tip may look notched or heart-shaped.

The front teeth in the lower jaw may have a gap between them.”
                                              read more

Signs Of A Lip Or Tongue Tie

“Difficulty breastfeeding is one of the most common indications
that your child may have a lip tie or tongue tie. The symptoms
include:

struggling to latch on to the breast

difficulty breathing during feeding

making a clicking sound while nursing

falling asleep often during nursing

acting extremely fatigued by nursing

slow weight gain or lack of weight gain

colic”    read more

How To Feed With A Lip Tie

You might be able to feed baby with a lip tie.

“To breastfeed a baby with a lip tie, you may have to be a little
strategic.

Try softening your breast with your baby’s saliva before attempting
to latch, and practice proper latching technique so that your baby
can connect more fully to your breast.

A lactation consultant may be able to help you brainstorm more
ways to make nursing more comfortable and efficient for you and
your baby.”   read more

Feeding With A Tongue Tie

Talk to your baby doctor about treatment. She might recommend a
procedure to correct it called a frenotomy.

If you want to try to feed baby without it, you might be able to.

“If you decide against a frenotomy, you can continue to breastfeed
but have your little one monitored to be sure she’s gaining weight
and getting enough breast milk.

You may have to pump and give your baby your expressed breast
milk in a bottle as a supplement if necessary.”   read more

Mild Tongue Tie

If baby has mild symptoms of tongue tie, he may not need
treatment.

“Your child may not need treatment if he or she has no symptoms
or mild symptoms. In some children, most or all symptoms go
away over time.

Between ages 6 months and 6 years, the frenulum naturally
moves backward. This may solve the problem of mild tongue-tie.

Or, your child may find ways to work around the problem.”   
                                           read more

Severe Tongue Tie Treatment

If baby has the more severe version, the best way to help baby is
having a doctor do a procedure to correct it.

They will cut what’s called the lingual frenulum. Some say it is
painless for infants and no anesthesia is required.

Wow, I wonder how that’s possible.

Lip Tie Treatment

Treating Lip ties is similar to tongue ties. If it’s not severe, no
treatment may be necessary.

With a severe lip tie, they will either use a scissors to snip or a
laser to cut through the skin.

This is usually recommended before baby’s teeth come in.

OK, moms. I hope this wasn’t bad news for you. If it was, do
some more research before making a decision.

There may be something I missed. Below is a video you
might find helpful.

I hope you can have a good day.

courtesy AlliAndFamily@youtube.com

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