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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To insist on a proper tongue tie assessment?

41 replies

JonathansNextCreak · 16/01/2020 15:35

My 6 months old DC has just had the health visitor out for a review (it's about 2 months late, was meant to be a 4 month one but my health visitor was on long term sick and no one covering unless intervention/struggling).

We've had continued problems with latching/bf and although none of the staff in hospital mentioned tongue tie despite our issues, I'm not sure if anyone explicitly checked at birth?

I asked her to assess for tongue tie but she listened to my description of the tongue then said "it's probably fine" since my nipples aren't shredded and bleeding raw like in the first few weeks of bf...

Here is the heart shape: ibb.co/MBbTSx0

I hate to crowd source this type of thing but my HV really didn't make me feel better ("probably") now that I've been reading it may interfere with speaking, dental issues, breathing in some extremely bad cases!

Should I go to my GP to ask for a second opinion (well, a first opinion since HV didn't actually look)?

OP posts:
ToTheRegimentIWishIWasThere · 16/01/2020 18:52

YANBU. DS had his divided at 20 weeks. It had been missed, dismissed, pooh-poohed by a whole manner of professionals for 10 weeks. It made a huge difference.

Ilovechinese · 17/01/2020 04:39

Midwives and health visitors aren't trained very much in breastfeeding and are not qualified to diagnose tongue tie. You need to see an ibclc (international board certified lactation consultant) if you Google it there is a website that comes up that you can find ones in your area. Also if you could find a local breast feeding group near to you to go along to you will find hopefully find it helpful

Hustssleeping · 17/01/2020 05:45

I've just this week had to self-diagnose DDs tongue tie. And luckily got a last minute cancellation at the tongue tie clinic as the tongue tie midwife specialists will only do it until 12 weeks old. After that its proper surgery due to teeth and increased number of nerve endings.

The TT specialist told me that the HVs should have known to refer me to her- (they had just said go to GP)

So while it may be too late, ask HV if you can talk to feeding specialist about it

Btw they were horrified I'd lasted 12 weeks. DD is having to relearn how to feed . At 6 months it's probably too late to relearn, so bear in mind it might mean the end of breastfeeding.

Hustssleeping · 17/01/2020 05:47

Should say I saw a midwife TT specialist. Her title was Infant Feeding & Frenulotomy Specialist Midwife

dottycat123 · 17/01/2020 06:10

My ds2 had one, it was noticed at birth but I was told to ignore it. I did breast feed but had to hold him in the 'rugby ball' position. I was concerned about speech problems so went private at 6 months, the ENT Consultant did it on the NHS a few days later. At 6 months ds had to have a general anaesthetic as I was told that there is a fairly large blood vessel under the tongue and the Dr didn't want to risk snipping this by movement so at 4 months it might be more complicated than when tiny.

thelongdarkteatimeofthesoul · 17/01/2020 06:34

That is a tongue tie.

Two of my children had/ have quite tight tongue ties. Eldest was born in England and hers wasn't spotted until she was a few months old, by which time she was thriving and fully breastfed and although she did gulp air she was putting on weight so well it wasn't considered worth doing anything by then, when it would have been a bigger deal.

Second child was born in Germany and his tongue tie was spotted immediately at the paediatrician check in hospital. I elected to leave it be because it caused dc1 no problems. I'm ambivalent now about whether that was the right decision.

The only problem their tongue ties ever caused was in the early stages of breastfeeding - both got plenty of milk (but I have oversupply and fast let down when breastfeeding so they didn't need a perfect latch) but both were "happy pukers" as someone put it and swallowed air and brought a lot of milk back up.

Both tongue tie children have always had very clear speech for whatever age they are at the time and have never had any problems with eating or breathing.

The dentist brought up the issue of their tongue ties six months ago and said in the very long term it can cause problems with teeth, because your tongue doesn't perform its usual function.

Both dc1 and dc2 (now ages 12 nearly 13 and 14 nearly 15) had an assessment with a craniofacial surgeon in November.

What a lot of people don't know is that cutting tongue ties becomes an incredibly simple, quick procedure in older children and adults.

However the surgeon said it's not necessary to cut the tongue ties and debatable whether there's any need. He said his own son has a tongue tie which he elected to leave alone. He said even in tiny babies there is a small risk to cutting a tongue tie and "do no harm" is his guiding principle if the child is not experiencing problems.

He was willing to cut the tongue ties if the children wanted them cut, not if not.

Cutting tongue ties is only a big deal requiring general anaesthesia in older babies and small children who cannot keep their head absolutely and completely still for five minutes when necessary.

My eldest had her tongue tie cut at her own request; she said it was annoying. My second child chose not to, but the surgeon said he can come back in a few years if he changes his mind.

Dc1 said having the tongue tie cut was less unpleasant than having a baby tooth removed to encourage the tooth behind to come through in the right place. It took less than 5 minutes with a local anesthetic.

She had some discomfort in the evening but has had no ill effects and her worry about having to learn to use her new "free" tongue was unfounded, her speech remains clear, exactly as it has always been.

So she can always get it done later if she wants.

In all honesty I'd adopt a wait and see approach at ten months, as she's too old for the newborn procedure and would need general anaesthesia at that age. As you've breastfed successfully it may cause no problems.

DC2s tongue tie is so tight the dentist asked if he could take photos of it for a paper he's writing for a professional journal! Yet it's caused no problems since the breastfeeding stage.

thelongdarkteatimeofthesoul · 17/01/2020 06:38

Sorry just realised your DD is six months not ten, but in this case the point still applies.

Scootingthebreeze · 17/01/2020 06:43

If you're on Facebook, there's a tongue tie UK page that's worth joining

namechangenewness · 17/01/2020 07:31

@thelongdarkteatimeofthesoul you have just summed up my DD3. The "happy puker". I was so lucky that the hospital where I am was on the ball with TT, they first offered to cut it at 2 weeks but I said no as it was causing no feeding issues but then curiosity got the better of me and I had it cut a few weeks ago to see if it was improve the sickness - it hasn't Grin Did your DC just grow out of it?

thelongdarkteatimeofthesoul · 17/01/2020 07:37

namechangenewness with both my children with tongue ties the sickness stopped once they were on solids and upright most of the time (sitting securely independently, pulling up).

Yes they grew out of it effectively, I suspect more due to non tongue tie related normal development such as no longer getting all their nutrition from milk and no longer effectively eating lying down!

They certainly don't have any issues now (teen and almost teen - teen had hers cut last week! Almost teen still has a tongue tie).

thelongdarkteatimeofthesoul · 17/01/2020 07:39
  • sickness being the wrong word obviously, they just brought up a lot of milk when breastfed due almost certainly to swallowing air due to latch issues caused by tongue tie. They put on weight very well indeed and were not remotely bothered (hence happy pukers) it was simply an inconvenience for me, not for them! I basically didn't bother wearing tops inside the house because I'd be changing so often and needed a lot of spare clothes!
thelongdarkteatimeofthesoul · 17/01/2020 07:42

Weirdly my dc3 was my only one without a tongue tie and the only one who was slightly underweight as an older baby and toddler and the only one who has had any issues with solid food. He also can't say "th" which the older two with tongue ties can...

Russell19 · 17/01/2020 14:28

My baby had a tongue tie, feeding was agony. I pushed for it to be checked at 6 weeks as I was certain that's what it was (although in the hospital when he was born the doctors did a very quick check and said he has no tongue tie).

It was checked by a lactation consultant and she then referred me to the feeding team at the hospital. She said it was tongue tie but would depend if the NHS would cut it on the actual person assessing it. It was 50% restricted so it was cut after 2 weeks waiting list.

At your babies age I don't think it'll be so straight forward. Your first step should be to find the infant feeding team at your hospital or a qualified lactation consultant at the hospital.

QueenofmyPrinces · 17/01/2020 14:35

Get yourself in the IBLC website and type in your postcode and it should give you details of all the tongue tie practitioners in your area.

I went private with both of my sons, with my first son I was seen in 4 days and with my second son I was seen within 25 hours.

They came to the house, did their assessment and then snipped the tongue tie on my living room floor Smile

Marellaspirit · 17/01/2020 14:37

My DN was born with tongue tie. He was unable to latch on and suffered for the first few months of his life with horrendous colic. My DS, a paediatric nurse was convinced it was due to his tongue tie, but midwives said they don't routinely check and HV was adamant that children could "live with" tongue tie so refused to refer. I'm the end she went to a private clinic and had the procedure done. It was a midwife who performed the procedure and she said that my DN's story was all too familiar. Within a few days, his colic had gone, he was feeding a lot better and was able to suck his dummy which he had always struggled to keep in his mouth before. My DS was curious that they had had to go through so much pain and upset in the first weeks of his life for something that could have been dealt with quickly and easily if he had been screened at birth.

tinysnickersaremyfavourite · 17/01/2020 14:39

That looks like a tie.
It can also cause issues when starting solid foods if the tongue isn't mobile enough to move the food around the mouth correctly. I met someone with a tie like that who was unable to eat an ice cream cone in the normal way because he couldn't stick his tongue out to lick it.
I would push for referral so you can speak to someone about pros and cons of sorting it.

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