Tongue-Tie

Home Treatment

Home treatment may be all that is needed for your child with tongue-tie. The tissue underneath the tongue (lingual frenulum) may stretch on its own, or your child may adapt to the restricted tongue movement.

For breast-feeding problems

If you are breast-feeding your baby, talk with a lactation consultant to learn how to help your baby latch on and suck effectively. You also will want to be sure that your baby is getting enough milk and growing well.

If your breast nipples are sore or tender:

• Apply cool compresses to your nipples before nursing, or take a small amount of acetaminophen (Tylenol) about 30 minutes before nursing your baby.
• Start nursing on the side that is less sore for the first few minutes, then switch to the other side. The first sucking is the most active.
• Change your baby's position with each feeding. This may reduce pressure from the baby's mouth on the same part of the breast.

For speech problems

If your child develops speech problems, ask your health professional about having him or her evaluated by a speech therapist. If the speech difficulty is believed to be caused by tongue-tie, you may want to consider surgery to release the tongue. Some experts believe that tongue-tie surgery should not be done until the child is 4 years old. Others believe that surgery should be done earlier to prevent speech problems and the possible need for speech therapy after surgery.

For your child following surgery

If your baby has a release of the lingual frenulum (frenotomy), you may notice some slight bleeding after the procedure. You can give your baby acetaminophen (Tylenol) for any discomfort.

If your child has frenuloplasty, he or she will have stitches on the underside of the tongue. After surgery, your child may be instructed to do some tongue exercises several times a day for 4 to 6 weeks. These will help improve tongue mobility and prevent scar tissue formation.

Even children who have not had surgery may be taught tongue exercises if they have mild problems from tongue-tie.

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Author:	Debby Golonka, MPH	Last Updated: September 6, 2007
Medical Review:	Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics Thomas Emmett Francoeur, MDCM, CSPQ, FRCPC - Pediatrics
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