Parents in the UK Share the Challenges of Having a Baby with Tongue-tie

Moms shared their experiences in trying to feed their babies diagnosed with tongue-tie. The feeding experience. In an interview with BBC, the two moms said that breastfeeding a child with tongue-tie was painful, and the simple procedure to treat it was also a struggle by itself.

Tongue-tie is a condition when a tongue movement is restricted by a membrane (frenulum). It connects the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth. The frenulum is loose enough for most babies to allow the tongue to move freely. However, when the membrane is tight, it limits tongue function. This is when experts call the condition tongue-tie.

About 10% of newborn babies in the UK are affected by the condition.

Tongue-tie and breastfeeding

Clare Sinton, a mother of two, told BBC that breastfeeding a tongue-tied baby is "excruciating, unbearable, helpless." She said that it felt like someone was "dragging barbed wire or blades through her nipple."

Sinton has breastfed his elder son for 19 months, so he knew what breastfeeding felt like. She suspected that her newborn might have a posterior tongue-tie, but the midwife could not confirm it.

She recalled that she was crying with every feed. She said that it felt like her baby had a beak, "like a turtle clamping down on me." She was in constant pain and dreaded her newborn's feeding time.

Some babies with the condition find it difficult to latch in the breast.

Tongue-tie could be resolved through a simple procedure. However, some parents who seek private treatment could shell out £400 (around USD 537) to avoid waiting in line for the procedure. Some parents abandon breastfeeding altogether.

Feeling beaten by her newborn's feeding, Sinton found a specialist in Cardiff. After a short assessment, the doctor clipped it. She said she felt better immediately. A few weeks later, she said they were breastfeeding successfully.

Katharine Sharlot had a similar experience. After she gave birth, the midwife to her that the tongue movement looked fine. Sharlot went through six weeks of painful breastfeeding. She was later referred to a breastfeeding counselor and the NHS.

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After the procedure, she felt relieved at first, but later, the problem returned. She sought the help of a private midwife, who said that the hospital had missed the tie or it may have reattached; hence it was divided again.

The procedure solved things, but her baby was three months old then. She said that if not for her previous experience, the support of the breastfeeding counselor, and the intervention of the private midwife.

More research and support on tongue-tie and breastfeeding.

Dr. Paul Mannix, clinical director at North Bristol NHS Trust for women and children's health, said that mothers must get early support in breastfeeding, including training the midwives on latching issues and spotting tongue-tie. He apologized that the women's experience did not reflect such intervention.

The National Childbirth Trust (NCT), the UK's largest parent charity, has also called for more research for the best care of babies with suspected tongue-tie.

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