In the early 1970s, breastfeeding in the United States reached an embarrassing all-time low, with only 24 percent of mothers attemptÂing to nurse their newborns.1 Fast-forward to the present, and the infant feeding picture is quite different. Over 83 percent of babies get a chance at breastfeedingâalbeit with one in five receiving supplemental formula within their first two days of lifeâand at six months, about 56 percent are still nursing, 25 percent having done so exclusively for the first half-year.2
As the number of breastfeeding mothers rises, so does the number of moms encounterÂing breastfeeding challenges. Problems such as breast pain and latching difficulties are among the major factors prompting early discontinuÂation.3,4 Breastfeeding support and advocacy organization La Leche League International (LLLI) counsels that most such issues can be solved with adjustments to positioning and attachmentâbut when âgood breastfeeding managementâ doesnât do the trick, the next step advised by LLLI is to consider tongue-tie and, by implication, tongue-tie intervention.5
AN OLD BUT SUBJECTIVE DIAGNOSIS
The lingual frenum (or âfrenulumâ) is the tissue connecting the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth. Tongue-tie (medical name âankyloglossiaâ), for some reason diagnosed more often in boys than girls, is defined as an âanomalousââmeaning short or tightâlingual frenum that interferes with ânormalâ tongue movement. But âanomalous,â it turns out, is a rather subjective term.6 There is no meaningful consensus on how common infant tongue-tie even is, with estimates ranging from a low of under 1 percent to a high of about one in ten babies.7
In cases where tongue-tie is diagnosed and deemedâoften subjectivelyâto cause breastfeeding problems, babies may end up undergoing a procedure called a frenotomy or âsurgical releaseâ (or a related procedure called âfrenectomyâ). Frenotomy typically is performed by either a pediatric dentist or ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor and involves the cutting or clipping of the lingual frenum, either with laser or sterile scissors.
This sounds straightforward, but in 2019, concerned researchers called attention to the complete lack of evidence that âwould enable an understanding of what encompasses normal [lingual frenulum] anatomy.â6 They also emphaÂsized that no âclear anatomical variables have been identified that have direct correlation with limitation of specific tongue movements, or imÂprovement in any objective outcome measures following frenotomy.â
As it turns out, the controversy about tongue-tie and surgical intervention dates back millennia.8 Early writers not only argued about the wisdom of tampering with the tongueâ which Greek physician-philosopher Galen described as having been âprepared most fully and perfectly by natureââbut also debated when and how to wield the knife. In the case of midwives, who competed with surgeons for the right to carry out the intervention, the tool reportedly was the midwifeâs little fingernail, deliberately kept long.
In earlier times, interestingly, the rationale for frenotomy more often than not had to do with the claim that the procedure would improve the patientâs speech. Nowadays, speech-language pathologists may recommend tongue-tie release for speech delays in older children (a practice that some believe is not supported by empirical evidence),7,9 but in infants, it is the late twentiÂeth-century breastfeeding renaissance and the emergence of legions of lactation specialists eager to help moms breastfeed successfully that appears to have shifted the primary justification for frenotomy to breastfeeding support.8
THE FRENOTOMY BOOM
Many practitioners agree that casual visual inspection of the tongue and frenum is an unÂreliable way to assess tongue-tie, so some have developed classification and scoring systems. Even so, researchers writing in 2020 in the EuÂropean Journal of Pediatrics argued that there is no clear relationship between tongue-tie scores, feeding problems and frenotomy outcomes; they urge clinicians to âfirst do no harm,â suggesting that lingual frenotomy for breastfeeding probÂlems is ânot as innocent as generally accepted.â10 Others sum up the situation this way: âThereâs no good evidence that an untreated tongue tie will lead to bad outcomes down the lineâor that a frenotomy will help with the breastfeeding relationship in the short term.â11
Despite these cautions, the number of babies proceeding directly from breastfeeding difficulty to tongue-tie diagnosis to frenotomy has, without a doubt, exploded. A U.S. inpatient study published in 2017âthe first-ever national studyâreported an âexponentialâ 834 percent increase in tongue-tie diagnoses from 1997 to 2012 and, over the same period, an astounding 866 percent rise in frenotomies.12
Similar trends are evident in Canada, EuÂrope and Down Under.13 In Australia, which even has a Tongue Tie Institute, frenotomies increased by 420 percent from 2006 to 2016.14 In New Zealand, a researcher states, âPotentially 10 to 20 per cent of all infants in New Zealand are having it done where, in fact, more like 3 per cent would actually benefit from it.â15 French doctors alarmed by the trend warn that frenotomy âshould only be done in the case of a genuine issue and not as a matter of course or as a preventive measure.â16
Even among lactation experts, opinions are mixed. Nancy Mohrbacher, author of the Breastfeeding Answers textbook for lactation specialists as well as books for nursing mothers, commented some years ago on the tongue-tie phenomenon, stating âWhat started as a problem for a small percentage of babies seems now to be an epidemic.â17 Mohrbacher added, âBecause tongue tie is the root cause of the problem for [only] a minority of babies, it is a terrible place for most mothers to start.â Her advice: âContact someone who can help adjust babyâs latch and evaluate babyâs feeding pattern.â
Commenting on the 2017 U.S. study and the âextreme popularityâ of the tongue-tie diagnosis and surgical release, Atlantic writer Rachel Morgan Cautero pointed out that while the studyâs hospital-based results were âfairly incredible by any standard,â they were probably an underesÂtimate because they did not include data from outpatient settings.11 The study authors themselves noted, âAnecdotally in clinical practice experiÂence there seems to be a corresponding increase in infants diagnosed and treated for ankyloglossia in outpatient settings as well.â12
The study authors agreed that the increased spotlight on breastfeeding and the greater availability of lactation consultants assessing breastfeedÂing problems is a likely explanation for the greater attention to tongue-tie and the dramatic upswing in oral surgery for infants.12 However, they also noted that the trend is not across the board; babies from households with private insurance were âdisproportionatelyâ more likely to receive a tongue-tie diagnosis and intervention than babies from families with public insurance (Medicaid).
In terms of cost, a study published in JAMA in 201918 reported freÂnotomy fees ranging from eight hundred fifty dollars to upward of eight thousand if performed under general anesthesia; practitioners experienced in office-based frenotomy do not recommend general anesthesia. PostÂoperatively, parents are on the hook for in-home measures designed to prevent relapse (âstretch[ing] and massag[ing] their childâs oral frenula, cheek, and tongue multiple times a dayâ) but also may be asked to take their baby for multiple craniosacral or oral myofunctional therapy apÂpointments.13
Back in 1791, a Berlin obstetrician raised the question of practitionersâ motivation for subjecting babies to frenotomy, stating, âFrequently the parents are deceived, for profit, greed and ignorance this aid is abused, and one unties where nothing is tied.â8 In the present day, critics simiÂlarly question the âflourishing industry of frenotomyâ and its subsidy by insurance providers.13
Those who believe that more infants are undergoing frenotomy than necessary argue that the rush to clip babiesâ tongues may conceal other potential causes of poor feeding or crowd out other solutions. The JAMA study found, for example, that non-surgical support for breastfeeding difficulties could, in most cases, take care of matters.18 The impetus for the study came from the researchersâ observation of âpeople sent in for something they werenât sent in for beforeâ and their question, âAre all of these procedures necessary?â19 With comprehensive feeding assessment and targeted interventions offered by a multidisciplinary team, almost two-thirds of the babies (63 percent) initially referred for tongue-tie surgery did not undergo it, an outcome that the authors celebrated as âavoiding potentially harmful procedures. . . and maximizing the quality of care delivered.â
New Zealand researchers similarly observed that developing a ânew clinical pathwayâ involving multidisciplinary assessment of tongue-tie in babies experiencing feeding challenges âled to a marked reduction in frenotomy intervention rate,â from 11.3 percent to 3.5 percent over a two-year period.20 They also noted that âoverall there was no difference in the feeding pattern of infants who either received or were declined a frenotomy.â
THE EXPLANATION FOR EVERYTHING
Discussing the tongue-tie phenomenon, a physician has argued, âThere is no public health reason to explain the increase, only an inÂcrease in awareness and diagnosis.â21 The Atlanticâs Cautero suggests that greater awareness from within the mommy community itself is a major factor feeding the âfrenulum frenzy.â Her Atlantic article [italics in original] begins:
âItâs uttered in hushed tones during mommy-and-me yoga classes and at Montessori-school drop-offs, discussed ad nauseum in breastÂfeeding support groups and on parenting message boards. Itâs called tongue tie, and itâs everywhere. In online mom groups, itâs blamed for all sorts of parenting woes. Baby isnât gaining weight, or wonât take a bottle? Have you tried checking for ties? Kid wonât nap? Itâs probably related to tongue tie. Baby have a rash? Check under the tongue!â11
Others concur that the increased attention to tongue-tie âis being led by consumer demand,â with social media and social influencers playing a major role.21 Is it a fad? A pediatrician who directs a university lactation program outlines âtwo questions at play,â stating âOne is the individual question of how parents should be making this decision,â while the second is âthe public health issue and the âhotnessâ of this debate.â22
Setting aside the debate among professionals, parental satisfactionâ to the extent it has been measuredâis generally high. (Preverbal babies donât have much of a say in the matter.) A New Zealand study exploring parental perceptions found that âParents were willing to go to significant lengths to access the procedureâ beforehand, and afterwards, four out of five sets of parents reported âmoderateâ or âsignificantâ improvement in the issues that prompted them to seek frenotomy for their babies.23 About a third of mother-infant pairs studied (thirty-three of ninety-three) went from not fully breastfeeding to fully breastfeeding. A recent Danish study likewise reported âcompellingâ parent satisfaction, with 78 percent of mothers who had experienced breastfeeding difficulties or pain reporting a âmoderate to high degree of symptom reliefâ and 95 percent of parents statÂing they would âhave a frenotomy performed on their child again under similar circumstances.â24
Not all mothers are thrilled with their babyâs experience, however. One Australian mom inÂterviewed after the fact spoke of the pressure she encountered from a dentist who told her âin no uncertain termsâ that she would be âsetting [her] child up for failureâ if she did not get her daughÂter a frenotomy, even though no one had actually observed them breastfeeding.14 Describing the vulnerability of new motherhoodâfeaturing pain and sleep deprivationâthe mother sucÂcumbed to the dentistâs pushiness, but after âblood curdlingâ screams and a burning smell emanated from her daughter during the laser surgery, the mom pronounced the procedure âabsolutely barbaric.â
THE RISE OF LASER
Historically, frenotomists relied on an âarsenalâ of surgical scalpels, scissors, curved knives and âfork-like instruments.â8 Nowadays, many dentists and physicians have shifted their treatment of choice to laserââLight AmplificaÂtion by the Stimulated Emission of Radiationââ which comes with its own armamentarium of instruments, including (depending on the method) topical or injectable local anesthesia, âmouth props, loupes with magnification and high-intensity light, grooved director. . . for tissue deflection and isolation along with fine-tipped hand-held electrocauteries.â25
Practitioners use the term âlaserâ to refer to several different types of devices, including Bovie electrocautery and soft-tissue-cutting CO2 diodes (with the latter nicknamed âhot tip cauteryâ because it burns off the soft tissue âon contact with the hot charred glass tipâ)26 as well as laser devices with the fancy descripÂtors of âneodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnetâ (Nd:YAG) or âerbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnetâ (Ed:YAG). Some frenotomy websites praise the diodes as âideal. . . for both cutting and coagulating soft tissue,â27 claimÂing less postoperative swelling and pain,28 but othersâsuch as Peter Vitruk, founder of the American Laser Study Clubâargue that âlaserâ is in fact a misnomer for the diode method.26 In his experience, the diodes can lead to âexcesÂsive post-op pain, excessive tissue charring, deep thermal necrosis, or. . . excessive bleedÂing.â Vitruk speculates that when infantsââfor whom painkillers are not an optionââundergo diode frenotomy, the aftermath may not be very pleasant.
One of the primary distinctions between the scissor and laser procedures is the ability of the parents to be with their baby during the proÂcedure; because of âsafety measures,â parents are not allowed into the treatment room during laser procedures but can hold their baby when scissors are used.29 A doctor who describes the CO2 device as her surgical instrument of choice admits that the scissor procedure is also faster, and that âpain associated with the laser procedure has a delayed effectâ; however, her take-home message is that the providerâs skill set âand knowledge of how the tongue tie affects each patientâ ultimately are more important than the chosen tool.29 Other frenotomy providers agree, stating that while â[a]nyone can buy a laser,â providersâ âskill and understanding of how tongue tie affects breastfeedingâ should be the deciding factors.30
Modern practitioners may be keen on laser, but a lack of relevant research means that âno conclusive suggestions regarding the method of choice can be made.â31 The author of a UK-based parenting support blog agrees that many of the claims used by frenotomy practitioners to argue that laser methods are superior to scissors are âunsubstantiated and non-evidence based.â While not âanti-laser,â the blogger questions the assumption that âsomething new and expensive is automatically better,â noting decades of sucÂcessful frenotomy performance with scissors as well as the fact that âthe research supporting practice is using [scissors], not a laser.â32 The author makes other points as well, including the following:
- The laser procedure (as already noted) is âsignificantly slower than with scissors, which only takes several seconds.â
- Pain scores with laser âmay be higher and for a longer duration, resulting in many laser providers advocating the use of anÂaesthetic.â
- Adults treated with laser describe âsignifiÂcantly higher levels of pain post procedureâ and a burning sensation, which, the author states, is âof course. . . exactly what it is.â
- For older babies, âthe separation from parÂents and restraint could be as upsetting as the procedure itself.â
- Research specific to babies (rather than older children) is needed.
- â[W]hat happens post procedure is much more complex than we realise.â
COMPLICATIONS UNDERREPORTED AND UNDERSTUDIED?
Early advocates and critics of frenotomy did not shy away from acknowledging the prospect of complications. In the mid-eighteenth century, obstetric textbooks regularly listed complicaÂtions such as bleeding to death.
Modern advocates of frenotomy, on the other hand, claim a stellar safety record, but the fact is that study of frenotomy complications is only just beginning, and some believe that comÂplications are going unreported.33 In an online survey administered in late 2019 to physician and dentist members of the Academy of BreastÂfeeding Medicine, 61 percent of the physician/dentist respondents had cared for a baby with either a complication or a misdiagnosis (defined as a baby âsubsequently diagnosed with another problem that could have caused the infantâs breastfeeding difficultiesâ).33
Another goal of the study was to assess clinician-reported frenotomy complications by method (scissors/scalpel versus âlaser/bovie/electroÂsurgeryâ). The researchers found that postoperative bleeding was more strongly associated with scissors/scalpel, but babies treated with laser/ bovie/electrosurgery had four times the odds of âoral aversion.â According to Healthline, which defines oral aversion as âsensitivity toâand perÂhaps even fear ofâfood or drink taken by mouth,â34 babies with an oral aversion âwill refuse both the breast and the bottle,â a counterproductive outcome for moms intent on improving the breastfeeding relationship. Oral aversion and repeat frenotomy were the top complications reported.
An Australian physician who works with babies frankly states, âIn my opinion, oral laser surgery hurts babies, as does wound stretching.â13 She describes regularly seeing babies with oral aversion, worsened breastfeeding problems and infections after such surgery. In one instance, she reports seeing âthe underbelly of a tongue somewhat separated by a frenotomy that went too deep.â
In another electronic survey administered to members of the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology, 77 percent of respondents reported a growing number of referrals for frenotomy over the previÂous five years, especially for breast pain and inability to latch, with 60 percent describing the number of referrals as âtoo many.â35 Three out of five professionals reported having seen frenotomy complications, most often excessive bleeding or frenum reattachment. In another study, fully a third of children required repeat frenotomy, but 84 percent of patients or guardians nevertheless reported the procedure was beneficial.36 Some providers have found that they can decrease the rate of repeat procedures with a shorter postopÂerative follow-up period.37
In a study published in 2020 that assessed two years of pediatric data for children under one year old, researchers identified only sixteen cases of frenotomy complications; although this translated to just 1.39 per ten thousand, twelve of the babies required hospitalization, with complications that included poor feeding, respiratory events, pain, bleeding and weight loss.38 In addition, one out of four children had to have the frenotomy repeated.
Another 2020 study reviewed thirty-four case reports of complications from frenotomies performed primarily in the U.S. and Europe, identifying a total of forty-seven major compliÂcations.39 With breastfeeding problems being the most common indication for performing the proÂcedure, the parents were rewarded with babies experiencing poor feeding, hypovolemic shock (a life-threatening form of shock involving blood or fluid loss), breathing and airway challenges and a potentially deadly infection called LudÂwigâs angina. The researchers hypothesized that neonates might be subject to greater risks than older children or adults.
A 2021 case report from Canada, which acknowledged a âsmall possibility of compliÂcation. . . even in expert hands,â described a six-week-old infant who experienced delayed hemorrhage and shock symptoms following laser frenotomy, requiring âfluid resuscitaÂtion.â40 The authors noted that in infants, âpostÂoperative hemorrhage is an important complicaÂtion to look for as even small amount of bleed may prove fatal, due to low blood volume reserve.â
Discussing frenotomy complications in a 2021 interview, a practicing ENT in Texas described complications such as salivary gland cysts (âsialocelesâ), staph infections and comÂplications associated with the use of topical anesthetics.41 The latter include case reports of cardiac toxicity from lidocaine, âbecause itâs just so hard to dose in a little bitty infant, and. . . itâs kind of unpredictable.â The physician also noted the possibility of a blood disorder called methemoglobinemia (in which too little oxygen is delivered to the cells) associÂated with âester-basedâ anesthetics.
A 2009 study summarizing two hundred forty-two episodes of methemoglobinemia related to anesthetics such as benzocaine and prilocaine noted that a âsingle spray of benÂzocaine may induce methemoglobinemia,â and that complications of methemoglobinemia include âhypoxic encephalopathy, myocardial infarction, and death.â42 The authors recomÂmended discontinuing the use of benzocaine altogether and suggested banning prilocaine use in children younger than six months old (the age group often undergoing frenotomy). In a discussion of topical anesthetÂics for laser frenectomy, a pharmacy website describes lidocaine and tetracaine as the most commonly used products but notes that prilocaine or other âstrongerâ anesthetics may also be part of the picture.43 The site urges practitioners not to use prilocaine (or similar drugs) in newborns, recommending it only for patients aged two years and older.
As an alternative to anesthetics, Spanish researchers recently reported the analgesic effect of inhaled lavender essential oil for healthy babies undergoing frenotomy, noting lavenderâs âsedative and antispasmodic properties.â44 The researchers observed a significant decrease in cryÂing time and lower Neonatal Infant Pain Scale scores in the babies who received the essential oil intervention.
âTO SNIP OR NOT TO SNIPâ
Is the âseeming epidemic of moms reporting breastfeeding diffiÂcultyâ the result of more babies with tongue-tie? Absurdly, some are now making the case for a tongue-tie gene.45,46 There is no need to resort to genetic explanations, however, to recognize the fact that a perfect storm of sociological and economic factors is contributing to an âepidemicâ of frenotomies.
Australian physican Dr. Pamela Douglasâwho believes that most providers have âblindspotsâ about breastfeeding and a flawed understandÂing of the âbiomechanics of infant suckââaccepts the need for âsimple scissors frenotomyâ in the minority of infants who she esteems to have âclassic tongue-tieâ but notes that far too often, families are âfrightened into complianceâ with laser surgery recommendations by warnings about phantom developmental risks.13 In this, pressures toward frenotomy resemble nothing so much as the bullying often endured by new parents about circumcision and vaccination of their babies.
As in these other situations, parents should do their own research, shielded from the din of social media and coercive practitioners. Knowing that âtongue-tieâ as a condition lacks definitional clarity,13 recognizing that diagnosis âdoesnât mean you have to have a surgical procedure,â47 being aware that babies can outgrow tongue tightness if left alone48 and understanding that many non-surgical forms of support are available can help breastfeeding moms make a fully informed decision about how best to meet their breastfeeding goals.
SIDEBARS
AND THEN THEREâS LIP-TIE
In addition to tongue-tie, moms experiencing breastfeeding difficulties may be told that their babies also have âlip-tie.â As discussed by UK lactation consultant and tongue-tie practitioner Sarah Oakley, lip-tie is an even murkier diagnosis than tongue-tie.49 According to Oakley, common diagnostic classification systems ârely solely on appearanceâ of the labial frenum and not only fail to assess function but fail to acknowledge that the tethering that stretches âfrom the upper gum to behind the upper lip in the midline is normal anatomy.â
Describing exchanges with widely known tongue-tie experts, Oakley has written: âI asked them how they decide a lip requires [surgical] division. The responses were that it is based on the presence of tension and a general acknowledgÂment that they were probably all applying different criteria. . . reflected in the fact that they all reported varying numbers of babies presenting with tongue-ties who also require lip-tie division.â These âvarying numbersâ translate to anywhere from one in five âto almost all babies with tongue-tieâ also being subjected to surgical lip-tie intervention. She notes that lip-tie surgery comes with a greater risk of pain and bleeding (because a labial frenum is âmuch more sensitive and more vascular than a lingual frenumâ) and adds that among doctors and dentists, opinions about the procedureâs safety are mixed.
Finally, Oakley observes that lip-tie intervention is a stop-gap and generally does not address underlying causes of breastfeeding difficulties. Her conclusion: â[O]ur focus needs to be on supporting mothers and babies with our breastÂfeeding skills to understand and overcome the challenges they face and not to encourage them to pursue the idea that by simply cutting yet another piece of membrane in the mouth all of their issues will be solved.â
NUTRITION FOR NURSING MOMS
While health practitioners often pay some attention (even if dispensing bad advice) to the diet of pregnant women, it is rare for a nursing momâs diet to get much attention. This is a mistake, as breastfeeding mothers and babies need an equally nutrient-dense diet to thrive.
The Weston A. Price Foundationâs recommended diet for both pregnant and nursing mothers includes the following:
- One quart whole milk daily, preferably raw and from pasture-fed cows
- Four tablespoons butter daily, preferably from pastured cows
- Two tablespoons coconut oil daily
- Two or more eggs daily, preferably from pastured chickens
- Additional egg yolks daily (added to smoothies, salad dressings, scrambled eggs, etc.)
- Fresh beef or lamb daily (consumed with the fat)
- Oily fish or lard daily
- Three to four ounces fresh liver, one to two times per week
- Fresh seafood, two to four times per week (especially wild salmon, shellfish and fish eggs)
- Bone broths (in soups, stews and sauces)
- Soaked whole grains
- Fresh vegetables and fruits
- Lacto-fermented condiments and beverages
- Two teaspoons high-vitamin cod liver oil to supply 20,000 IU vitamin A and 2000 IU vitamin D per day; do not add cod liver oil if the diet is deficient in the important animal foodsâliver, egg yolks and meat fats. It is important to follow the diet in its entirety, not just selected parts of it.
The list of foods to avoid includes hydrogenated oils, junk foods, commercial fried foods, sugar, white flour, and soft drinks, as well as substances like caffeine, alcohol, cigarettes and drugs.
GALACTAGOGUES
For a variety of reasons, maternal milk supply issues are not uncommon, even when the nursing mother is eating a nutrient-dense Wise Traditions diet. Galactagogues are substances that can help boost milk production.50
Although synthetic galactagogues are available, they come with the risk of undesirable side effects such as depression. Instead, women throughout history have turned to foods and herbal substances known for their milk-making properties. One of the most widely known herbal galactagogues is fenugreek (sometimes taken in combination with marshmallow root), although some herbalists caution that its use can be counterproductive if it is not taken consistently.
Others galactagogue herbs include fennel (also helpful for digestive discomfort), milk thistle, blessed thistle (not to be confused with milk thistle), nettle, alfalfa, red raspberry leaf, goatâs rue, the Ayurvedic herb shatavari and moringa (not to be used by women trying to conceive), among others.
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- Â https://blog.fauquierent.net/2016/11/is-tongue-tie-becoming-more-common.html
- https://breastfeedingusa.org/content/article/tell-me-about-tongue-ties
- Zoppi L. Ten-fold rise in tongue-tie surgery for newborns âwithout any real strong data.â News- Medical.net, Jul. 15, 2019.
- Radhakrishnan R. Can babies grow out of tongue-tie? Medicine.net, Jun. 9, 2022.
- https://sarahoakleylactation.co.uk/wp-content/ uploads/2015/05/lip-tie-article.pdf
- https://www.westonaprice.org/book-reviews/a-mothers-garden-of-galactagogues-hilary-jaÂcobson/#gsc.tab=0
This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly journal of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Fall 2022
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Shannon says
I would like to comment on the idea that tongue ties may be related to a nutritional deficiency specifically in the B vitamins like Dr price often noticed and is therefore a midline deformity as price often diagnosed. The tongue tie contributes abs is related to a narrow pallet and narrow airways like Dr Price often diagnosed in children on a western diet. Is there any question as to the nutrition issues these kids are experiencing in utero? This would be helpful!
Candace says
This assessment of toung tie is surprising coming from Weston A Price Foundation. It’s a midline “defect” that is on the rise due to under-methylation and lack of available folate in the diet. Furthermore, regardless of breastfeeding success (both my sone had TT and had no issues breastfeeding), a tounge tie usually results in low resting tounge posture (tounge not resting on the pallet of the mouth), and the pallet literally can not expand as the child grows without the natural pressure of the tounge resting on it. And all sorts of issues are being connected to low resting tounge posture and mouth breathing. It’s estimated that 9%of all ADHD diagnoses are actually oxygen deprivation due to mouth breathing!! Furthermore, as the pallett grows improperly and the tounge doesn’t rest on it, many of these ppl will experience issues with snoring and sleep apnea later in life. Now, frenectomy certainly is not the whole picture of resolving tounge posture issues. Anyone with these issues should seek out an Orofacial Myologist (physical therapy for the tounge) bc sometimes that alone can correct tounge posture to rest on the pallett. And if getting a frenectomy it is best to do orofacial myotherapy before and after. This retrains the muscles and fascia to keep tounge up.
mary anthony says
Back in early December (2023) my son called to tell me to listen to Gary Brecka being interviewed by Joe Rogan, specifically to hear him discuss the methylation issues that have arisen in the U.S. population since the 1996(?) FDA directive to “fortify” all processed foods and grains with Folic Acid (as opposed to naturally occuring Folate). Over half the population lacks the (genetic) ability to turn Folic Acid into a usable form or even excrete it properly, so that it builds up in the body, in the case of certain adults causing “idiopathic” high blood pressure.* Also in December my daughter gave birth to a bouncing baby boy, who couldn’t seem to get latched and breastfeed. She had all the support any new mom could ever hope for. In the hospital there were no fewer than 5 lactation consultants who visited her in the 72 hrs she was there; only one of them ever succeeded in helping him latch on and nurse for fewer than 15 minutes, after which mommy had an extremely raw nipple. One suggested that he might have tongue tie, so a pediatrician was consulted and performed a snip before they were discharged. There was no immediate improvement in his ability to latch. She was sent home with 3 days’ worth of donor breastmilk and told to relax and keep trying. I had successfully breastfed four babies back in my day and I was with her, but I was totally mystified as to why he wouldn’t latch. After weeks of unsuccessful efforts she found an experienced lactation consultant who sent her to a pediatric dentist who performed another and much deeper frenectomy and a lip release and explained how his palate had been affected. We performed several physical therapy exercises with his face several times a day but we were told that breastfeeding itself was his best PT. His latch was so poor that it was agony for my daughter to nurse him for short lengths of time those first days. After 9 more weeks of breastfeeding with andSNS tube supplementation with pumped breastmilk (and occasional relief by bottling) he finally achieved enough of a latch to transfer enough on his own to ditch the bottles and SNS tubes. He takes forever to feed so she still spends most of her days and nights with him attached, though each day he gets a little more efficient and spends a little less time nursing. It’s been very recent that we’ve become confident that he’ll be able to nurse exclusively. We’ve heard of so many others who have the same kind of problems he had, and most of them don’t ever get to successfully breastfeed. It took a mommy’s tenacious efforts, a daddy’s loving support, and a dedicated set of grandparents sacrificing over three months of their own time to get this baby to the point where he can do what God and nature intended. Most people don’t have all that to help them succeed.
In light of the statement in this article “….reported an âexponentialâ 834 percent increase in tongue-tie diagnoses from 1997 to 2012 and, over the same period, an astounding 866 percent rise in frenotomies….” I propose that there’s a strong correlation between the addition of B6-displacing folic acid into our foods and the dramatic increase in tongue & lip tie.
My daughter was adamantly opposed to vaccination and circumcision and not eager to have any painful procedure performed on her baby, but his inability to latch onto the breast was real. She is also taking him for pediatric chiropractic adjustments and it is helping. She is sacrificing not just luxuries but basics in order to afford all this.
*In the interview I started this comment with Gary Brecka makes the claim that high blood pressure caused by the buildup of homocysteines in the blood vessels due to inability to methylate folic acid can be cured with a few weeks’ worth of trimethylglycine (TMG) supplementation. TMG (an amino acid) is used by the body to break it down.
Unity says
Hello,
My daughter has a lip tie. And Iâm just not sure what it do. Will it eventually affect her teeth, your mouth structure if I donât get it clip? I believe Gummy smile and tooth decay is caused by lip ties?
Any advice would be wonderful.