Tongue tie is a condition that affects a small proportion of newborn babies, around 10%, from mild to severe. The condition makes it difficult for babies to move their tongues effectively due to the band of tissue under the tongue, known as the frenulum, being too short, tight or thick (or all three).
If discovered and rectified early enough, the impact of tongue tie can be minimised. A small procedure can be carried out, which causes little pain, where the frenulum is snipped to allow the tongue to move more freely.
On the whole, uncorrected tongue tie can affect babies in many ways. Here are the main ones:
Breastfeeding
The most significant impact of tongue tie is on breastfeeding. Because of the difficulties with their tongues, babies can struggle to latch effectively and create a proper suction onto the breast. As a result, the latch can be rather shallow, leading to inefficient feeding and pain for the mother. Unfortunately, this invariably leads to weight loss, failure to thrive, irritability and possibly even colic. Many women end up resorting to formula feeding, feeling that they have failed to provide their baby with the amount of milk they require.
As well as impacting the baby’s ability to breastfeed, this can also have serious consequences for the mother. In addition to the previously mentioned pain, women can often find themselves not making the right amount for their baby as the inefficient latch does not signal the body to create enough. Mastitis and engorgement are common because the baby cannot drain the breast fully. Furthermore, mothers can struggle with their mental health due to feeling low about these issues.
General Development
Because the baby is focused so much on getting the feeding right but struggling with pain and discomfort, this can mean that a young baby fails to develop as well as they otherwise could. Instead of being free to thrive and grow as well as they can, they may simply present as fussy and irritable youngsters.
Speech
When a tongue tie is not rectified at an early age, it can lead to problems later in life, including the development of speech. Because the tongue cannot move fully, this means that certain sounds cannot be pronounced properly. For some, speech therapy interventions will be necessary to ensure the child can communicate as effectively as possible.
Teeth
Dental troubles are another consequence of an uncorrected tongue tie on a baby. It can cause poor oral hygiene, which may lead to a build-up of plaque and other bacteria in the mouth. As a result, the youngster may then suffer from tooth decay, gum disease and other serious dental problems. Additionally, the odd position of the tongue due to the tight, short or thick frenulum can cause an open bite, where the top and bottom teeth do not meet correctly, which may cause problems with eating and speech.
