Care2share - What is tongue tie (ankyloglossia)?

It happened that i came across one of my friends, who was having problems to breastfeed her newborn. She suspected it was caused by her son's tongue-tie condition. Mashallah, i never heard this before so lets explore and share. I hope so much that my babies will all be healthy and born perfect. (T-T)

This was extracted from baby center.

Tongue-tie

Tongue-tie (ankyloglossia) happens when the string of tissue under your baby's tongue (frenulum), which attaches her tongue to the floor of her mouth, is too short. If your baby has tongue-tie, her tongue can't move freely, and this can cause problems. If your baby has mild tongue-tie, it may not affect her. But if she has severe tongue-tie, her tongue may almost fuse to the bottom of her mouth. 

Doctors differ in the way they diagnose tongue-tie, especially in mild cases, so it's difficult to know how common it is. Some studies show that about four per cent of babies have tongue-tie, while others claim that it affects about 11 per cent. There is no evidence that tongue-tie is something that babies inherit.



How can I tell if my baby has tongue-tie?

Your baby may be diagnosed with tongue-tie during her first routine check. Your midwife will put her finger in your baby's mouth to check the roof of her mouth and her tongue. But tongue-tie is not always easy to spot. It may not be found until later, for example, if your baby has feeding problems. If you and your baby are finding breastfeeding difficult, ask your midwife, health visitor or doctor to check for tongue-tie.

Breastfeeding isn't easy for every mum, and if you're finding it hard-going, it may not be anything to do with tongue-tie. Talk to your community midwife, or ask to be referred to a breastfeeding specialist, so you can get the help and advice you need.


How does tongue-tie affect feeding?

If your baby has mild tongue-tie, she may not have any feeding problems at all. But if her tongue can't move freely, she may:

• have trouble latching on
• slip off your breast while feeding
• not gain weight as expected

If your baby is struggling to feed because of tongue-tie, you may have sore, painful nipples, which may make you both feel frustrated. Babies who are bottle-fed and who have tongue-tie occasionally have trouble with making a good seal around the bottle teat. This may mean that the milk leaks, and your baby may suffer from wind due to swallowing air.

Will tongue-tie affect my child's speech development?

Tongue-tie is sometimes blamed for speech problems, and this is often why surgery is recommended.
In one small study, having a minor operation did improve children's speech problems. However, there isn't enough evidence to prove that there is a link.


How is tongue-tie treated?

The treatment for tongue-tie is a straightforward operation called a frenulotomy. A doctor or specially-trained midwife puts a snip in the string at the base of the tongue (the frenulum).

In young babies, this snip is often done after just numbing the area. It shouldn't cause your baby any pain, and if she's very young, she may even sleep through it. If your baby is older, she may need to have a general anaesthetic, and the operation could be more complex. Not all experts believe that babies and children with tongue-tie need treatment. Some experts say that it is often unnecessary, and can cause side-effects, such as bleeding and infection.

Some babies may be fine without the procedure. However, guidelines say that frenulotomy is safe for young babies and that it could help with breastfeeding problems, which often disappear straight away after the treatment.

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this might be lame but i only know what APGAR score means today..hehehehe
Both my boys scored 9/10. But i was quite sure i wanted to ask, but then forgot.
Until today. kikikiki


Just wondering with mommies who homebirth, the daddy or birth midwife should know how to do the score :)