Tongue-tie is a health condition that occurs from birth, and its symptoms differ from one person to another. Some children may not be affected by this injury, while others have difficulty moving their tongue freely.
The severity of tongue-tied injury depends on the shortness of the frenulum, and is as follows:
Moderate case: when the tongue is attached to the bottom of the mouth by the tongue
Severe case: when the tongue fuses with the bottom of the mouth due to the extreme shortness of the frenulum.
Tongue-tie is usually diagnosed right after birth, but in some cases this can be difficult, and parents don’t notice it until they’re breast-feeding.
It should be noted that male children are more likely to suffer from tongue-tie than female children.
Symptoms of a tied tongue
The symptoms of a tied tongue depend on the shortening of the frenulum. The symptoms are:
Tongue near the bottom of the mouth.
The appearance of the tongue is forked and sharp, meaning that its shape sometimes resembles the shape of a love heart.
Sometimes not being able to stick the tongue out of the mouth.
Difficulty moving the tongue to both sides and upwards.
Suffering from pronunciation problems and pronouncing some letters sometimes.
Problems associated with a tongue tie
Having a tongue-tied child makes doing some things a difficult task, such as: feeding and even opening the mouth completely.
Among the problems associated with a tied tongue are the following:
Difficulty catching the nipple during feeding.
Breastfeeding for a longer time.
Hunger for longer periods than normal.
Difficulty gaining weight normally.
Issuing squeezing sounds when feeding.
Vomiting immediately after feeding.
Biting or gnashing of teeth.
cracked nipples
Lack of milk production in the mother.
Increased risk of infection in the breast.
Here is an explanation of the relationship between breastfeeding and tongue-tied:
During breastfeeding, the baby needs to latch on to the nipple, to use his tongue to cover the lower gums in order to protect the nipple.
When the tongue is tied, the child suffers from breastfeeding problems, as the child is unable to suck well, and the mother may notice cracked and dry nipples as well.
It should be remembered that having breastfeeding problems can be due to a number of different problems and causes, and it is not exclusive to the tongue tie.
Tongue-tie treatment
Not all cases of tongue-tie require treatment, but it is necessary when the child has problems with breastfeeding, and the treatments are one of the following:
1. Surgical treatment
Surgical treatment includes minor surgery to cut the frenulum, and this surgery is quick and painless, and the child may not need any painkillers.
After the surgery, the child is able to move his tongue more freely, and the mother is asked to encourage her child to breastfeed as soon as it is completed.
If the child is 6 months old or older, he will need full anesthesia for the surgery, and the recovery time may be up to 10 days.
A small bleeding may be noticed after the surgery, but it is not worrisome.
2. Laser treatment
Laser treatment is a good option, as the operation takes only 2-3 minutes, without the need for anesthesia, and the recovery takes two hours.
3. Electrotherapy
Local anesthesia is used during electrotherapy, and the doctor is the one who determines whether this treatment is suitable for the child or not.
