Tongue-tie

     Tongue-tie (ankyloglossia) is a medical problem which was, for a time, routinely treated and then, for decades, was not treated and now is being treated again. It is evident immediately at birth. It occurs in 4 – 5 % of newborns. It is not a problem that causes any medical problems, but it does cause problems with breast-feeding. Breast-feeding is difficult enough in the newborn period. Mom is exhausted after delivery, the baby feeds at irregular intervals so mom has little chance to sleep and mom’s breasts are sore even in the best of cases. But when a baby has tongue-tie, breast-feeding is extremely painful. Mothers of infants with tongue-tie stop breast-feeding almost 3 times as often as those without tongue-tie.

     The procedure to clip a tongue-tie is simple and can be done in the nursery or office. Most mothers report that breast-feeding immediately becomes less painful and easier after the procedure. The infant can have some bleeding from the area under the tongue, but it soon stops.

     If your infant has tongue-tie and you are having any difficulty with breast-feeding, don’t hesitate to discuss clipping the tongue-tie as soon as possible.