Shared with permission from Analytical Armadillo
“Baby has a “mild” tongue tie but it’s too small to cause any feeding problems.”
“Baby has a “slight” tongue tie but it doesn’t need treating”.
“Baby has a small tie that can’t be treated”
I meet so many parents who have been told this, it seems to be popular at the moment. Parents I meet because of feeding problems; problems that are of course not being caused by that “mild tongue tie”. Except they are…
Babies who might have reflux, colic or wind because they are either unable to make or maintain a deep enough latch at the breast/bottle, spending their entire feed sucking in air.
The resulting symptoms can be wide and varied, complicating diagnosis further. Some feed constantly, other sporadically; some reflux, vomit, spluttering or gulp, bobbing on and off when the milk ejection reflex (let down) is triggered or the bottle is tipped. Some gain weight whilst others don’t and if baby can’t organise co-ordinate their sucking and breathing fast enough, this is often misdiagnosed as “fast let down”, or that baby needs a slower teat.