3 Ways a Lip-Tie Can Negatively Affect Your Baby  

Although it might seem as if a lip-tie is a rare occurrence, it is far more common than you realize. When this banded tissue presents itself after birth, its restrictions can have immediate effects on your baby’s overall health and well-being. It can also negatively impact your mental and emotional wellness. The good news is there is a solution that easily fixes this problem – a frenectomy. But if you’re hesitant to consider any kind of surgical procedure this early on, here are three ways a lip-tie can wreak havoc on your little one.

Infant Lip-Ties: What Problems Can Occur?

In the days, weeks, or months following the birth of your baby, you may find yourself struggling to successfully feed and satisfy your little one. Their fussiness and low weight gain have you concerned, but you don’t know what to do.

A lip-tie could be to blame, but if you’re not sure, here are a few ways you can tell:

1. They Struggle to Breastfeed: Your baby should be able to latch without any issues; however, if their lip is restricted because of the banded tissue behind it, they will develop a shallow latch. This means they’ll be unable to extract the milk and achieve a full belly. This unfortunate reality can also cause you much discomfort.
2. They Struggle to Gain Weight: Whether they find it difficult to breastfeed or bottle-feed, the lack of nutrients can lead to poor weight gain. Failure to treat this problem early on can have long-term effects on their development.
3. They Develop Poor Oral Health: As teeth begin to erupt, a lip-tie can make it difficult for them to maintain good oral health. A gap between their upper front two teeth can make it easy for bacteria and food to become trapped, and it can increase their risk of gum disease.

Other potential problems can include speech impediments and social impacts (i.e., bullying) that prevent them from feeling confident and comfortable around others.

How Can a Frenectomy Help?

The moment you realize there is a problem with your baby’s ability to nurse or take a bottle, it’s imperative that you seek professional help. Doing so will give them the best chance to enjoy a better quality of life.

When meeting with a trusted expert, you can expect to learn more about the frenectomy process. Simple and easy for professionals to perform, many use a dental laser to quickly release the banded tissue located behind the upper lip. This, in turn, gives babies a wide range of motion, so they can begin to latch and feed normally.

Although some at-home stretches may be required to prevent the tie from reattaching, the recovery takes little time and provides you and your child with a new lease on life.

About the Author
Dr. Garcia-DeMartino is a lip and tongue-tie specialist based in Phillipsburg. Attending the International World Clinical Laser Institute, she became an expert in the use of soft tissue and hard tissue lasers. Now, she proudly helps patients suffering from the effects of lip and tongue-ties. If your baby is suffering and unable to latch properly, don’t wait to seek help. Instead, visit our website or call (908) 859-5260 to find out how a scheduled frenectomy can be what your child needs to eat freely and grow healthily.