How does this affect my infant?

Feeding

• Presence of tongue tie may limit the tongue’s mobility, leading to difficulties latching onto the breast or bottle during feeding
• Presence of a lip tie may prevent the baby’s ability to phalange their upper lip outward while latching onto the breast or bottle. This prevents a proper seal for feeding, which can cause difficulties in achieving a comfortable latch and effective milk transfer
• Presence of a cheek tie may affect the baby’s ability to create proper suction during feeding. The muscles of the cheek should be contracting in a wave-like pattern and a restrictive buccal frenum may contribute to an inconsistent suck pattern.

Breathing

• In severe cases, a lingual tie can restrict the tongue’s movement enough to affect the airway, potentially leading to breathing difficulties, especially during sleep. It is important for the tongue to have enough mobility to maintain proper tongue posture for optimal breathing.
• A severe lip-tie might restrict lip movement, which could impact normal mouth functions, including breathing. However, the impact on breathing is generally less prominent compared to tongue-tie.