Tongue tie - I'm amazed at the variation in treatment across health authorities

[SonicMum]

Has any one else had a baby with a tongue tie?

Both DS1 and DS2 had tongue ties. DS1 did not suffer any problems with it and it must have stretched or pinged, because it has gone (he's now 5YO).

DS2 was a whole different matter - didn't put on weight and even started to lose it around 3-4 months. Eventually got to see consultant about it who put him on a waiting list for an operation (general anaesthetic etc).

The neighbouring health authority took a different approach altogether and snipped my SIL's baby's tongue tie within days of him being born and showing signs of trouble feeding. So DS2 finally travelled to neighbouring authority also to have tongue tie snipped (at 5MO) and put on weight rapidly thereafter. Now a happy, healthy 18MO.

Have recently been contacted by a friend of a colleague who is also experiencing problems getting a tongue tie treated by their health authority.

Would be interested in people's views on how much is known about tongue ties, their effects and how they are treated by NHS. Ended up reading up on the internet as not much info forthcoming from GP/health visitor. Seems something that is easily treated, but left unchecked can cause quite serious problems, so why does it appear to be difficult to find treatment for it?

[fqueenzebra]

I have only heard about tongue-tie being a problem with breastfeeding, assume that's why you're bothered, too.

I imagine you could tie this in with a general lack of support/recognition of the value of breastfeeding. If "the system" where super-keen on promoting breastfeeding, then tongue-tie would be screen for as a matter of course. My impression was tongue-tie can vary by severity, probably why one of your boys was ok without treatment but not the other.

I know a mum who failed to breastfeed her first, she later realised due to tongue tie problems that weren't recognised/sorted out. She was furious about it when she later realised.

[bobbybob]

I'm sure in NZ it's routine to snip them if they are causing feeding problems.

[spagblog]

My DS has tongue tie. We noticed it in the hospital when he was born and was having trouble feeding.
No one seemed to know about it and we were told to wait and see the Dr at our 6 week check. In the meantime we struggled to feed. The Dr was no help, but referred us at our request to the Hospital.
Eventually DS learnt to feed, but could never get a good latch on and I had to put up with blisters and bleeding nipples for months.
We couldn't find anyone prepared to snip it for us and when we finally had our appointment at the hospital they told us it wasn't as simple as just snipping the tie, they had to stretch and peel back the underlying muscles.
We have to wait and see how it affects his speech.

[Twiglett]

Midwives used to keep one nail quite long and automatically sweep it under the tongue as soon as a baby was born to correct any type of tongue-tie

[SonicMum]

Did some research on the internet at the time DS2 was suffering and found out what you've heard, Twiglett. Seems strange that we've moved from it being a routine procedure to one that no one knows about. I know that there is an overwhelming trend to minimise intervention (this includes me - I went with the whole NCT vibe during labour) and midwives using fingernails sounds pretty grim all round, but where there's a simple procedure to resolve what could be weeks of unhappiness for mother and child, it just doesn't make sense to me that it's ignored. The procedure was no more distressing for either of us than the round of jabs they have in the first 6 months and going under general anaesthetic at this early age seems to me to be more risky...

[wheresmyfroggy]

My cousins DD had hers snipped last week At 9 weeks old

she was having no probs with weight gain but it was done anyway in case of future speech probs, there was never any question of it not being done by her health authority

HTH

[Flossam]

DS has it and I have been having a nightmare trying to see anyone about it. Am waiting for a referral now. In retrospect it did interfere with feeding, I found it highly painful despite having a good latch and feeding was very frequent once he recovered from his jaundice, which I wonder if was in any way related. Although he is now nine months old, I would still like to see the consultant to see what they think. He has only just in the past couple of days began babbling. There are two very different schools of thought on the problem, although I think that the frenonotomy (sp) may be coming back into vogue now.