Tongue Tie Symptoms

Common symptoms of a Lip and Tongue Tie in Infants are:

• Painful or damaged nipples for the mother
• Poor latch, baby pops off the latch
• Dribbles milk when feeding
• Excessive gas
• Colic or reflux
• Becomes tired/falls asleep easily while feeding
• Poor or no weight gain
• A heart or bowl shaped tongue

What effects can a Lip or Tongue Tie have in older children and adults?

• Restless Sleep
• Speaking softly (mumbling) or struggling to be understood
• Slow or picky eating
• Choking or gagging on liquids or foods
• A strong gag reflex
• Showing signs of a speech delay
• Crowded teeth and narrow palate
• Grinding teeth at night, snoring, mouth breathing

How can a Lip Tie or Tongue Tie affect breast feeding?

To achieve a good latch, the top lip needs to flare out to help create a sufficient seal around the nipple. This helps to create the negative pressure that is required to help pull the milk through the nipple. A lip tie can prevent this, resulting in air leaking in, milk dribbling out the sides, and gassiness among other symptoms. To achieve a good suck, the tongue must be able to not only come forward, but also elevate to the roof of the mouth. It then is pulled down, to generate suction, which pulls milk from the breast. A Tongue Tie can prevent the elevation of the tongue.