I remember when my oldest son was a little over a year old our pediatrician sent us to a specialist regarding his possible need for a frenectomy—a surgery to remove a small fold of tissue between his front teeth. At the time I had never heard of a frenectomy and was surprised that there was cause for concern with only a few teeth in his little mouth. He had no latching problems with breastfeeding and was by that point eating table food without any trouble. Still, the pediatrician suggested that it would upset how other teeth grew, causing spacing and crowding and could ultimately cause a speech impediment.
Non-invasive, you say?
Upon seeing her, the specialist told me that the surgery was non-invasive, a simple snip and we’d be on our way. I explained to the specialist that I didn’t really believe in “non-invasive” when it comes to surgery on toddlers, and that I would need to research it further.
I decided to see a second specialist and this time was told that a frenoctomy is a purely cosmetic surgery as the small fold of tissue caused no chewing, drinking or eating difficulties. Needless to say, we did not have the surgery done.
Many parents today are facing confusion over tongue-tie (ankyloglossia) or lip-ties (lip adhesion). Among breastfeeding mothers the buzz about tongue-tie and its effects on latching have many wondering if this is the culprit of their breastfeeding challenges or discomfort.
The science is not settled when it comes to Tongue-Tie and we shouldn’t let anyone tell us otherwise. Learn more about tongue-tie in the following articles found in your Winter Edition of Pathways to Family Wellness Magazine.
In the article by Dr. Alison Hazelbaker, we learned that there needs to be more thorough research to prove what is necessary and safe regarding the proper diagnosis and surgical treatment of tongue-tie.
Author Dr. Andrea Auerbach suggested that chiropractic care may offer a significant benefit to improve many breastfeeding challenges.
“As with many childhood disorders, the cause of the problem often traces back to undetected biomechanical injuries to the spine and cranium at birth” –Dr Jeanne Ohm
How can chiropractic help?
The birthing process, whether by C-section or natural, can be a traumatic event for any newborn and may affect the baby’s nervous system and impede proper latching. Through the chiropractic adjustment and removal of nervous system interference, latch issues that may initially suggest a tongue-tie could be repaired through proper spinal alignment. With tongue-tie diagnoses higher than ever before and routine surgery on the rise as the solution, it’s likely that many of these diagnoses are incorrect. Certified International Breastfeeding Lactation Consultants (IBLC) are generally the most qualified in this area. If the diagnosis is not clear, most children would benefit from holistic care or a wait and see approach instead. It is always prudent for parents to get at least two opinions from qualified practitioners before proceeding with any medical procedures for their children. Such is the case with tongue-tie.
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