What is Tongue-Tie?

A baby born with a tongue-tie, or ankyloglossia, will have an overly short or thick frenulum that restricts the tongue’s movement. The frenulum is a small band of tissue that extends from the floor of the mouth to the bottom of the tongue.

Tongue-ties can have an impact on nursing. “Tongue-tie prevents an open mouth seal, and if there’s no seal, then there’s no suction.” 

In those instances, the baby uses their lips and gums to hold on, which starts the cascade of various symptoms.

What symptoms can occur?

  • Latching difficulty
  • Pain with breastfeeding
  • Milk supply issues
  • Aerophagia
  • Failure to thrive
  • Dental issues
  • Speech articulation problems

How is Chiropractic related to Breastfeeding and Tongue Tie?

A child whose tongue is significantly restricted must compensate in order to breastfeed.  They do this by using various postures and muscles that normally would not be used during breastfeeding.

Essentially, chiropractic eases spinal tension that the infant may have as a result of dysfunctional ability to breastfeed.  The reverse order seems reasonable to consider also; that if an infant has musculoskeletal tension, it may affect their ability to breastfeed comfortably and effectively.

What to expect on your first visit?
1.A thorough history of both mum and baby’s health status.
2.An assessment of possible tension through the muscles of the mouth, jaw, and neck as well as any restrictions in neck movement that may impact breastfeeding.
3.An explanation of what may be causing some problems and whether you are in the right place to help your concerns, or if you should be more appropriately directed to a different health professional.
4.If we find that you are in the right place to help you; and that you want to follow through with our recommendations, then we can provide our first chiropractic adjustment.  

A chiropractic adjustment is what a chiropractor does to improve the function of the joints of the spine.  In a child and infant it is very gentle - there is no “cracking”.  Everything will be explained to you to ensure you feel comfortable every step of the way before we perform anything on you or your child.

We have an amazing network of health care providers that work with us as a team.  They have expertise in various aspects of breastfeeding issues. This team includes Dentists, Lactation Consultants, Midwives, and Orofacial Myologists.

If you have a question, don’t hesitate to call or email.  We’d be happy to help and guide you.

All of our chiropractors have training, and many years experience working with infants and children.

Is chiropractic safe for babies?

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