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NEW MUMS
127
June14
By Amy Brook-Partridge
Tongue-tie?
What is…
Learning tobreastfeedyour newborn
baby can be one of themost uplifting
and bonding experiences of being a
newmum. Conversely, it can be one
of themost stressful. One reason put
forward for why some babies have
difficulty feeding is “tongue-tie”.
We asked Mother & Child lactation
consultant JANI COMBRINK all
about it.
What is tongue-tie in babies, and
why do some babies get it?
The tongue of an infant plays an important
role in breastfeeding. When a baby is
born with a tongue-tie (medical term:
ankyloglossia), the frenulum (themembrane
that attaches the tongue to the floor of the
mouth) is abnormally short, tight or thick.
This can impede themovement and function
of the tongue, especially when attempting
to breastfeed.
Some studies say 11 percent of babies
are born with ankyloglossia; others put the
figure at between two and to five percent.
It’s a congenital condition – something
you’re born with. In most cases, one or
more family members have a similar
condition.
How can you tell whether your baby
has a tongue-tie?
If a baby cannot extend the tongue
beyond the lower gum ridge, or it has a
heart-shaped tip, it may be a tongue-tie. If
a mother has sore nipples, supply issues,
problems getting her baby to latch after
the first week (despite receiving help), or if
the baby isn’t gaining weight well or feeds
continuously, has reflux, colic, spends a lot
of time crying at the breast, or clicks when
swallowing while breastfeeding, it may be
worth asking your lactation consultant to
check for a tongue-tie.
Unfortunately, not all tongue-ties are
obvious, and some cannot be seen without
doing a full oral examination. This is not
painful for the baby, and doesn’t last long.
It’s done with a gloved finger, to assess
the anatomy, appearance, functionality
and movement of the tongue. There are
several grades of tongue-tie, and some
do not require surgical treatment – other
measures can be used to help keep the
frenulum elastic and functioning properly.
How can it affect breastfeeding, and
are there any other issues that can
arise?
Tongue-tie may prevent the baby from
taking enough breast tissue into its mouth
to form a teat, which can cause painful,
cracked or bleeding nipples, too-frequent
feeding and poor infant weight gain; some
babies develop reflux and or colic, and are