Video of Feeding Or Swallowing Problems Due to High Plate or Tongue Tie

With a normal swallow , food and liquids move from the mouth into the esophagus directed by a precise sequence of coordinated muscle movements. However, in babies and young toddlers, the presence of a tongue tie and/or high palate disrupts this sequence by making it much more challenging for the tongue to initiate an efficient and effective swallow. Occasionally, it may even lead to choking or gagging. Watch the video to understand why this happens.

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Videos by Dr. Chang Shown on NBC Newscast!

Image from KFRYTV of Minot, ND Courtesy of Dr. Bethany Jensen , YouTube videos by Dr. Chang were shown on a local NBC affiliate newscast on Dec 8, 2016 (Minot, North Dakota). The YouTube videos as well as the medical minute newscast topic was on tongue tie and how it can affect breastfeeding. Dr. Chang's videos were shown starting at 1:37. Videos utilized included  Breastfeeding Ultrasound , Posterior Tongue Tie Surgery , Tongue Tie Release Treatment , and Tongue Tie Release . Ch…

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Is Tongue Tie Becoming More Common?

In October 2016, I listened to an interesting lecture by Dr. Ghaheri (ENT in Portland, OR) who at one point attempted to explain through genetics why clinically significant tongue tie may be increasing in frequency. After all, it seems that every year, more and more moms are reporting breastfeeding difficulty/pain as well as more infants are being diagnosed with tongue tie now than in the past. One explanation may be due to genetics. He specifically mentioned three research papers that …

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Breastfeeding Milk Supply vs Demand in Tongue Tied Infants

There are some breastfeeding moms who have a TERRIFIC milk supply... I'm talking newborns who at times seem to be drowning in milk the supply is so great, accidental spraying of the infant's face with milk, numerous soaked nursing pads throughout the day, etc. BUT... they also have an infant with a significant tongue tie . What if anything should be done from a breastfeeding perspective? After all, milk supply is definitely not a problem... or is it??? The breastfeeding concern e…

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Breastfeeding Mom Being Selfish Fixing Baby’s Tongue Tie? (Guest Blog)

This is a guest blog by Lactation Consultant Jennifer C. de Franco, RN, IBCLC (RLC) of Premier Lactation Services, LLC Serving Northern Virginia. As an IBCLC (Registered Lactation Consultant) about 30% of the moms I see complain of painful latch or prolonged feeding. Another 30% is for newborn poor weight gain and low milk supply. The remaining moms call for various concerns from breast refusal, nursing twins, chronic mastitis or plugged ducts, to introducing a bottle, toddler weaning to…

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Laser vs Scissor Technique for Tongue/Lip Tie Release

One of the most common questions I get is "Do you use a laser or scissor method to perform infant  tongue / lip tie release to help with breastfeeding problems?" My typical response is "both," but depending on several factors, I will be swayed to use one method over another. The key questions in my mind when deciding which method to use is: 1) How thick or deep is the tongue/lip tie? 2) How much bleeding is anticipated? 3) How quickly can the procedure be performed?…

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Breastfeeding Ultrasound

Although breastfeeding is something humans have provided longer than written history, it is only recently through ultrasound that we are only just discovering what actually is going on within the infant mouth. Here is a video showing the complex motion that tongue makes in order to obtain milk from the nipple. The key point is that the tongue moves both horizontally as well as vertically to achieve an effective and painless breastfeeding. Check it out here !

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How Often Does Tongue Tie Release Improve Breastfeeding? What about Speech?

In the last blog article , we discussed the controversy around tongue tie release that exists from ancient to modern times. According to modern research, cautious support exists for tongue tie release regarding breastfeeding but not speech difficulties. So what did the research actually show? Statistically, tongue tie release improves/resolves breastfeeding problems ~80% of the time within 4 weeks, often within 48 hours. The percentage is lower if birth defects are present. Summary of the…

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Does Tongue Tie Cause Breastfeeding Difficulties and Speech Problems?

Although there is both objective and subjective evidence that tongue tie contributes to breastfeeding difficulties and speech problems, when it comes to quality evidence-based research, the data is a bit lacking. And because of this sparseness, tongue tie release is actually considered a controversial topic with both supporters and detractors (personally, I am a supporter of this procedure). Among the detractors, tongue tie release is considered unusual and unnecessary... even bizarre. To…

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When is an Infant a Good Candidate for Upper Lip and/or Tongue Tie Release? Guest Blog Post

This is a guest blog post by Dr. Bobak Ghaheri of The Oregon Clinic While there are many potential causes of breastfeeding problems, tongue tie and upper lip tie have recently gained attention as potential reasons that can be addressed. To date, all available evidence in the literature suggests that a frenotomy (release of the abnormally tight tissue in children with ankyloglossia) is beneficial in improving breastfeeding outcomes. However, there is still significant confusion among provid…

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Video on Breastfeeding Problems: Infant Factors

A  new video  has been uploaded to show infant factors that may lead to breastfeeding problems. Video goes over  tongue tie ,  upper lip tie , and  posterior tongue tie . Check it out!

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New Video on Tongue Tie Release Procedure

Tongue tie is a common problem whereby a flap of tissue anchors the tongue tip to the bottom of the mouth. With tongue tie , it is impossible for a patient to stick the tongue straight out (licking an ice cream is impossible) and may potentially lead to problems with feeding in a newborn baby, speech articulation in a young school-age child, and french kissing in teenagers and older. Due to the frequency at which tongue tie release is performed and the questions parents often have about h…

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