Infant Frenectomy

The frenum is a small, soft piece of tissue found in two places in the oral cavity. The first is between your upper lip and your two front teeth. This one is the labial frenum. The second one is the lingual frenum located between your tongue and the floor of your mouth. The lingual frenum helps control the tongue to assist with your speech and your swallowing. Now consider how small the fingernails are on an infant. The frenum is that small as well but very instrumental in the new born breastfeeding.

What does the lingual Frenum do for the Infant?

The lingual frenum helps you extend your tongue out of your mouth. For an infant not only does the tongue need to extend it also needs to curl into a U-shape around the underside of the mother’s nipple. This allows the nipple to be drawn into the back of the baby’s mouth. If the lingual frenum is short it will limit both of these motions. This will hinder the natural motion and stymie the baby getting the amount breast milk the infant needs.

Signs that the Infant may need an Infant Frenectomy

If the baby does not have the ability to latch on to the breast and pulls off or tends to slide off this is an indicator of a potential frenum problem. If you hear a clicking or sucking sound of the baby’s cheek with nursing this is not normal. If the baby is not gaining weight that means the infant is not nursing adequately. If the mother has nipple pain that is a very good sign as well as mastitis, or breast infection. This is because of incomplete emptying of the breast.

The Infant Frenectomy Procedure

Depending on the training of the pediatrician the frenulectomy can be conducted by this professional. Or it might take an ear, nose and throat specialist or an oral surgeon. This all depends on the availability in your community. The procedure is nothing more than the tongue being lifted and that very small piece of tissue being snipped or clipped. There are next to no nerves in this tissue so there is no pain for the infant nor is there any bleeding. Just like that the baby will be able to move the tongue the way it is supposed to be and draw in adequate mother’s milk.

Are there any Age Restrictions?

The medical term for this malformation is called ankyloglossia. The slang term is to call it being tongue tied. As you can see it can be done directly after birth or it can be performed on a geriatric. There are no serious issues to be considered at any age. It’s amazing something so simple can make such a huge difference in the first days and weeks of a baby’s life. If you are expecting a child soon pay attention to their breast-feeding habits and if you see one of the signs mentioned above consult with your pediatrician immediately.

More about Frenectomy : Labial Frenectomy