If your little one looks fussy or has difficulty breastfeeding, it could be a sign that he has a tongue disorder called tongue- tie. This condition needs to be treated if it causes your little one to experience growth problems due to difficulty breastfeeding.
Tongue-tie or ankyloglossia is a congenital abnormality of the tongue due to too short the frenulum, which is the connective tissue between the tongue and the floor of the mouth.
Babies who have tongue tie don't always have symptoms. If asymptomatic or not causing problems in the baby, this condition is usually nothing to worry about.
Tongue-tie Generally, it only causes problems if it causes the baby to be unable to move his tongue freely, so that he experiences a lack of milk due to difficulty in breastfeeding. This condition can be detected through a newborn's health examination by a pediatrician.
Get to know Sign and Symptoms of Tongue-Tie Babies
baby with tongue tie may show some of the following symptoms:
- Difficulty lifting or moving the tongue. This can prevent the baby's tongue from attaching properly to the nipple while feeding.
- Babies take a long time to feed, but seem hungry and fussy even though they have just fed.
- Babies make a tasting sound that resembles a "ckck" sound each time they feed.
- The baby's tongue appears to have a groove at the tip, so it looks like a heart shape.
Sometimes tongue tie It also has an impact on breastfeeding mothers. The baby's inability to suckle properly often causes the mother's nipples to blister or feel sore when breastfeeding the baby.
Tongue-Tie Types Based on Severity
Based on the size of the frenulum and its severity, tongue-tie divided into several types, namely:
- Type 1On t-ongue-tie type 1, the frenulum is thin and elastic, and attaches from the tip of the tongue to the edge of the crest of the gums.
- Type 2On tongue tie type 2, frenulum is still elastic but is thicker than tongue tie type 1. The frenulum attaches 2-4 mm behind the tip of the tongue to near the edge of the crest of the gums.
- Type 3On tongue tie type 3, the frenulum is thick and stiff, and attaches from the middle of the tongue to the floor of the mouth.
- Type 4On tongue tie Type 4, the frenulum is located behind, near the base of the tongue, so it is not clearly visible. Tongue-tie This type can usually only be identified through a doctor's examination, namely when the doctor feels the frenulum.
If you realize that your little one has baby signs tongue tie described above, immediately consult a doctor. Especially if the condition has made him reluctant to eat or drink milk.
How to Handle Tongue-Tie
baby care tongue tie adjusted according to the severity of the condition. The following are some handling steps tune-tie :
Observation
If tongue tie is still relatively mild and does not cause breastfeeding problems, doctors will usually only monitor the development of the condition first, to see whether tongue movement improves or not.
Usually, tongue tie Mild ones will go away on their own when the baby is 6 months to 5 years old.
Operation frenotomi
Frenotomy surgery steps are needed to overcome tongue tie severe enough to make it difficult for the baby to suckle or move his tongue.
This is because tongue tie Severe cases generally do not improve on their own and have the potential to make the baby experience growth problems due to difficulty breastfeeding. In addition, a frenotomy can also be performed if: tongue tie in infants makes the mother feel pain when breastfeeding.
A frenotomy procedure is performed by cutting the baby's frenulum using sterile scissors, a scalpel, or a laser. Frenotomy in infants generally does not require anesthesia because it is painless.
Although it is quite safe, the frenotomy procedure is still at risk of causing complications in the form of light bleeding, injury to the salivary glands, and infection. However, you don't need to worry, because these complications are rare and usually only mild.
By knowing what are the signs the baby is experiencing tongue tie, Mother can be aware of this condition in Little One. Although not all tongue tie requires treatment, Mother still needs to check the Little One to the doctor if he shows signs of a baby tongue tie.
If not handled properly,tongue tie Severe cases can not only make it difficult for the baby to suckle, but can also interfere with the baby's oral health, and make it difficult to eat and talk later in life.