Tongue tie - to not snip

[JL642]

Morning. I am very confused about tongue tie. To snip or not to snip?

My EBF baby is nearly 5 months now. Feeding fine and gaining weight ok. Maybe her feeding is slower and more often than other babies but I’m not sure for sure as my first DC.

I asked the GP to check for tongue tie at 8 weeks and she said no tongue tie. My DC’s tongue tie was not then identified until 13 weeks by a lactation consultant. I was told I was too late to get DC’s tongue tie snipped on the NHS at that point. The lactation consultant said DC’s latch was fine (I have to be on the ball and double check each latch in case DC doesn’t open mouth wide enough but generally fine).

Given Dc is feeding ok do I need to pay to get her TT snipped privately?

I have seen other articles saying TT can impact sleep, breathing speech potentially. Does this mean I should snip?

DC doesn’t sleep brilliantly but I expect that’s more because she is so young and BF and maybe it’s just her. She’s generally happy although is a Velcro baby. I assume that’s her temperament and not because of the TT.

Surely plenty of FF babies don’t get their tongue tie even noticed (and consequently not snipped)?

My mother BF two babies in the 90s and hasn’t even heard of TT. We are both fine. Not sure TT was such a thing then?

Interested in anyone who didn’t snip the TT.

It would depend if baby is showing any signs of reflux for me personally. If they're uncomfortable overnight due to reflux, I would get it cut. However, if it doesn't seem to be affecting them, I probably would leave it.

I have a TT. My parents didn’t notice until I was 3. Doctor wasn’t worried. I have had no problems with eating or speech. Or anything else - other than not being able to touch my nose with my tongue 😂

I'm having a nightmare with my 3 year old. His tongue tie effects his speech. We knew he had a TT at birth but they said it would take 6 months to be referred so I said we'll leave it then. Now i have been passed back and forth between GP and healthvisitor eventually GP has referred us to ENT but who knows how long that will take. He's been referred to speech therapy but the wait time is 50 weeks!!!!! Can't afford to go private. I feel like I'm failing my child.

I’d do it - can cause breathing issues with sleep, poor tongue posture can also cause cavities and crooked teeth.

depends how bad it is to effect speech I think - both my nieces had it done, one about 5/6 months, one as a newborn. The one at 5/6 months was on the NHS was super quick, no anaesthetic.

2 kids with tongue tie found very early on here.
Both fed fine, gained weight fine. No speech issues at all, never got them snipped.
If it ain’t broke and all that.

Sorry don’t really believe this but about cavities - more likely caused by sugar consumption than by tongue tie!

And don’t believe tongue tie causes crooked teeth either

There is no good evidence base for future problems, you can't predict which babies will go on to develop other problems and which will not. Some babies with a TT will and some won't. Just as some without a TT will and some won't.

A TT would or should only be divided because it is causing a problem at that point in time and other support has not solved it. So for a young baby this means a feeding problem.

We don't do anything else just in case of a future problem and TT division shouldn't be any different. Appendectomy just in case anybody?

My 11-year-old recently had surgery to cut his. He had no speech issues or any problems that way but it did hurt him occasionally when it pulled. He had it done on the NHS. He was a little sore for a few days but fine now.

Both my twins had tt, didn't snip and they were ok and they are now 6, their speech was always advanced and no issues. My best friend has tongue tie ( unsnipped ) and is a vocal coach and actress and never had any issues, now in her 40s.

My DD1 had some feeding issues. Lactation nurse immediately jumped to tongue tie. Consultant said she says that to everyone and no tongue tie. I refused to get her snipped as I couldn't bear to do it. She's fine. She's 11. She talked from the day she was 6 months old and has barely shut up since so definitely no speech issues either!

It’s all related, but obviously depends how bad the tie is - but poor tongue posture leads to high palate and mouth breathing - then over crowding of teeth and cavities. Especially once they get adult teeth!

Absolutely does not. Nor does it cause cavities. It’s like saying people with blue eyes have more cavities, crooked teeth, and a love of strangers giving them candy.

Obviously poor diet and not cleaning them causes cavities too!

9 years ago, I had my ebf's tt snipped, because I was at my wits end with how long and frequently she was feeding, probably about 8ish weeks. But, I think that was mostly social pressure about how "quickly" and often she "should" feed. I had it snipped by a lactation consultant, I don't know if made that much difference really and can't believe it would have caused any issues. But, I was so down with all the judgement that I was over feeding her. She was gaining weight absolutely fine, I think it was the internet that drove me to what I hoped was a solution to her feeding ALL THE TIME. Really what I needed was kind, sympathetic people rather than a lactation consultant with a pair of scissors.

The range of advice and practice in getting them snipped is amazing really. We went to the ENT dept in the hospital and a consultant did it while the baby was tightly wrapped up in a blanket. Then I was shown a room to feed in straight away.

Yes it's crazy. I've just had baby done because of how painful feeding (another tt baby) is for my nipples. But wouldn't do it if everything was fine. Had to go private as my local trust claim it is cosmetic!

Thanks everyone really helpful experiences. Makes me feel less uncertain about not snipping the TT given we aren’t currently encountering any issues and given baby is a already 5 months.

this has got to be nonsense

We got our little girls tongue tie cut at 7 weeks after feeding issues but it made no difference whatsoever and ended up reattaching by 13 weeks old so if not causing any issues would probably just leave it. Doesn’t seem to help anyway!

Just a slightly different longer term take. DH has a tongue tie, diagnosed in adulthood. He had extensive speech and language therapy as a child and still cannot pronounce th. His speech was unintelligible until he was about 6. He had teeth issues, overcrowding and needed braces.
My son had a tongue tie cut as a newborn. Interestingly he has teeth issues (so I question whether the tongue tie is related or if that's unrelated genetics) and can easily pronounce th and can stick his tongue out, which DH can't. Interestingly he struggles with pronunciation just like DH because DH is his primary source of English language!
It's a really hard decision at 5 months and for me would depend on the severity. If I chose not to have it divided, I'd be expecting to need SALT later on.

All I can go on is my personal experience. My DD had TT never had it cut. He has to bite ice creams as he coats stick out his tongue. Seems to have had no issues other than that.

I also have a TT it was not cut as I didn't struggle to breathe feed as a baby. I had a slight stutter and stammer but self corrected unsure if this was related. However, I couldn't shout very loudly or sing loudly. I was in a chamber choir as a child, so it was obviously not too bad.

But when I went to nightclubs, I'd tear the tip of the tight, which went right to the end of my tongue. It wasn't tight, but I could not stick my to gue out. But when I had to shout over loud music, I got a tear followed by an ulcer. I had mine cut at the age of 18.

It definitely gave me confidence issues, I couldn't shout at bullies in school, I was very quiet. Sometimes, I'd say something in a noisy environment, and people would just not hear me. Meant I often didn't stand up for myself. And I didn't like that I couldn't kiss with tongues.

When my DS was born, I got them to check for TT a few times. Eventually, I noticed he had a heart-shaped tongue at 12 weeks. Told the NHS that he had silent reflux (which he did slightly). Had to rush around to see an NHS breastfeeding consultant 45 mins north of the city I live in (that was the only appointments available)and got it cut at 13 weeks, so just in time. Personally, I would always get my children's TT cut. It I'd hard to measure the mental effects on being in pain when you try to speak loudly.

I hope that helps OP it is a hard decision as medical doctors just haven't researched it well.

My DS is 6 months old and we had his subtle posterior tie cut when he was 9 weeks old. One of the reasons we chose to do it was because of many posters on mumsnet telling me it was vital I did. It didn’t make any difference, he remains a fussy feeder and poor sleeper. Still struggles with wind.

My sister, now 28 years old, has a very severe tongue tie and it’s caused her no problems, the only difference is she can’t stick her tongue out very far! Her speech was slightly delayed when she was a toddler. Not sure if this was because of the tongue tie or if it would have happened anyway.

I'd get it snipped. Always.

I'm pretty sure no adult on here would consent to having their freenum cut with no anaesthetic but it's fine to hold down a baby and do it. I think it is barbaric. If you really need to take scissors to a baby at least make sure they don't feel it.