Lip Tie - What You Need To Know

The bond that can be created in the first few days with your baby is so important. The opportunity to spend high-quality moments breastfeeding your baby is something else. However, when your little one has a lip tie it can be very difficult. Your baby may become increasingly fussy because they are not able to eat properly or latch. A lip tie may not be threatening at first, if your baby is not able to get their nutrition, it can create problems later on for your growing little one. 

It is possible for your baby to have a lip and tongue tie. However, you have options. Scheduling a consultation with Dr. Judy Strutz and her team can help to ensure you have what you need. There is no reason to take risks, Dr. Judy Strutz and her team are here to help you and your little one.  

Schedule a consultation today!

Is Your Baby Loosing Too Much Weight?

When your baby is in the hospital you may have noticed that he struggled to breastfeed but still slept most of the time and didn’t cry much.  It is normal for babies to lose some weight after being born and so you and the doctor may not have thought much about it. You may have gone home thinking, this is okay. This is doable. He’ll breastfeed as soon as my milk comes in. If time has gone on and he is still struggling to latch, there may be something else going on.  It can be overwhelming to be a new mom. Sleep deprivation, frustration, and diaper smells. You may have even thought, a time or two, when you were pregnant that when you had a baby you were going to be put together and do everything right.

But breastfeeding can be difficult and it can be even trickier when your baby does not latch on correctly, is losing weight, and you feel like a failure. Before you spiral down the new mommy fear of failure slide and give up on breastfeeding, contact Dr. Strutz and her team and have your baby evaluated for a lip and tongue tie. While the number of babies who are born with lip and tongue tie seems to be growing, it has more to do with mothers asking the right questions of the right people. A qualified lactation consultant, ENT, or dentist who is knowledgeable about ties and the relationship between them and nursing can easily answer the question, “Why isn’t my baby latching properly?” While more doctors and dentists are aware of lip and tongue tie, it often still goes undiagnosed, leaving new moms to go home and wonder what they are doing wrong.

For more information on lip and tongue tie go to: http://www.drjudystrutz.com/baby-laser-surgery/ or http://happybabylaser.com

Signs And Symptoms Of Lip Tie In Children

Your baby may be a few weeks or a few years old. They may have struggled to breast feed and now that they are older, sticking their tongue out and saying certain sounds may be difficult for them. “There are multiple signs and symptoms of a lip tie in Children and knowing these signs,” says Dr. Strutz, “can help you get treatment instead of waiting and wondering why your child is struggling.”

Lip tie, can make it difficult for your baby to latch on properly when breastfeeding, which can lead to your baby being fussy and inconsolable. Without your baby being able to get the proper nutrition they need, their belly cannot fill up, which then can impact how content they are. A fussy baby can make it difficult for them, and for you, to sleep.

Excessive gas in your infant may be a sign of lip tie. When your baby is latching onto the nipple, it is important that they have a proper latch in order to not suck in too much air when they are trying to eat. Babies who have lip tie, are unable to latch on properly which then creates an inadequate suction. This suction then causes them to take in excessive air, which creates gas.

If you are noticing an improper latch, or your baby seems unusually fussy, contact, Dr. Judy Strutz and her team today for more information.

After a Laser Lip Tie Procedure

After a lip or tongue-tie procedure is completed to release your baby’s tie(s), there is more work to be done. “It may seem complicated and stressful in order to help your baby stretch out their tongue or lip, but stretching is the key to success after the laser procedure,” says Dr. Judy Strutz.  The stretches should be done consistently for four weeks, more consistently at first and tapered off by the end of the fourth week. There may be some bleeding and discomfort for your baby after the stretches. That is normal, but if you see excessive bleeding or the bleeding does not stop, contact Dr. Strutz and her team.

When your baby has had a laser surgery procedure to remove a tie on the upper lip, you will begin the stretching routine the evening after the surgery. You’ll want to go no more than six hours between stretching because oral wounds heal very quickly.

Place your finger under the upper lip and move it up until you hit resistance. Then move the lip back and forth gently a few times. This can hurt, and you may need to use baby Tylenol in order to help afterwards. This should only take 1-2 seconds.  In order to be effective in the stretching you want to make sure you get between the gum and the lip to avoid them sticking together. Make the stretching routine a game complete with a song or some humming and the process is less stressful for both parent and child.

For more information, or for information on the stretches for the tongue, contact Dr. Strutz and her team today.

Lip Tie Vs. Tongue Tie

You may take a look at the piece of skin that is between the teeth and gums in your baby's mouth and believe that it is a lip tie that is causing your breast feeding challenges, but in fact, it may be a tongue-tie. Dr. Judy Strutz suggests, "each one impacts breastfeeding differently and can eventually lead to speech or reading problems, and both may require laser surgery in order to release to the tie." Here are two differences between a tongue and a lip tie. 

A lip tie is the piece of skin that attaches to the top of the lip versus a tongue-tie, which is the piece of skin that attaches the tongue to the bottom of the mouth. When a lip tie impacts your baby, the frenulum may come between the two-front teeth and wrap around, while, a tongue-tie may be thick and inhibit the full movement of the tongue.

When nursing, a lip tie can cause the baby to have an improper latch, because they may not be able to open the mouth wide enough for correct suction to occur. A tongue-tie, can position their tongue in the wrong spot. When their tongue is not able to be in the correct position, they may suck on the side of the breast, take a long time to get any milk and become tired. The tongue is what allows proper pressure to be placed on the nipple in order to release milk properly.

Each type of tie requires a different type of laser surgery and will impact your baby’s ability to properly breastfeed. 

For more information on lip and tongue-ties, contact Dr. Strutz today.

Correct Tongue Tie Examination

It can be tricky to know if your baby has a tongue or lip tie because we are not trained to exam our babies for this type of problem. When you are breastfeeding, all you may know is that your baby is not latching on correctly, but you may not know why. These 3 examination tips by Dr. Strutz can help you to know what she is looking for when she examines your baby.  

1. First, when the examination begins, having great light is critical. This will allow the dentist to be able to see inside your baby’s tiny mouth. If you are looking yourself to determine if a tongue-tie exists prior to an exam, it is recommended you use a light that allows you to use your hands and give you a great view of their mouth.
2. The dentist then needs to correctly position the baby. It is recommended by Dr. Judy Strutz to have your baby lie across your lap with their head in her lap. This allows the dentist to be able to see into their mouth as well as evaluate the tension of the frenulum. At home you can position your infant on the bed, facing away from you.

3.     Once the baby is properly positioned, the examination can begin. By assessing the tightness of the frenulum, Dr. Strutz can determine if your baby has a lip or tongue-tie. Once the examination is complete, this will give the doctor the information she needs in order to determine the appropriate next steps. At home, you are also looking at the tightness of the tongue and lips, but generally a mom knows because of pain or discomfort when breastfeeding or by symptoms that baby experiences such as clicking, popping off the breast or an inability to be satisfied.

If you think, your baby may have a lip or tongue tie, and you are struggling to breastfeed due to latching issues, contact Dr. Strutz and her team today.  

Breastfeeding & The Impact Of Tongue Tie

Breastfeeding is an amazing opportunity for moms to take care of their baby. It can be more than just eating. Breastfeeding is a way to build a strong, safe and loving bond from the early days of life. It can help you to feel a strong connection to your child and for them to know they are always going to be taken care of and loved.

While your body, as a new mom, is ready to feed and nourish her, sometimes it’s not as easy as just your baby latching on and eating. Dr.Strutz says, “A tongue-tie or lip tie can cause problems for both you and your child.”  Milk production is based on supply and demand. Latch problems can negatively impact your infant when they are attempting to eat.

An improper latch on the nipple can cause your little one to attempt to eat but not be able to get enough milk. They may latch onto the side of the breast, or sometimes hold loosely onto the nipple, sucking. This can cause the nipple to become sore and chapped. While your infant holding onto the side of the breast can cause lesions, rough skin and an inability to produce the amount of milk you need for them to sustain a healthy weight.

For more information on lip and tongue-ties contact Dr. Judy Strutz & her team.

3 Negative Impacts Of a Maxillary Frenum On Your Baby

When your baby is born it can be difficult and stressful to wrap your mind around them having surgery. While some doctors may tell you that you can wait to have the surgery, or there is no reason to rush, waiting for your baby to have maxillary frenum surgery can negatively impact them especially as they get older. Dr. Judith Strutz, recommends "It is often better to have the surgery soon after they are born.”

1.    A frenum can impact your child's ability to put on weight. Babies lose about half of their weight after they are born and eating is critical for them to get their weight back up. If your baby struggles to latch on to the breast correctly, they can get air in their belly, which makes them think they are not hungry. Then just a few minutes later they can think they are hungry again. But never really get the amount of food they need.

2.    A baby needs about sixteen hours of sleep throughout the day. When they are not getting enough food to fill up their belly they may not sleep as much as they need, or they may wake up often crying to eat. Then they eat a little, go back to sleep and wake up just a few minutes later with a hungry belly to repeat this negative cycle all over again.

3.     A baby who is not sleeping and eating, can become restless and difficult to console. When it is more difficult to calm them down, it can increase the stress for both the parents and baby. This negative cycle can decrease your child’s ability to be happy and enjoy a calm atmosphere.

Contact Dr. Judith Strutz and her team today for more information about your baby's tongue-tie.

How Do I Know If My Baby Requires Tongue-Tie Surgery

Frena is the membranous fold that attaches and restricts the movement of a muscle. In the mouth there are two frena. The plural form of frena is frenum. The first one is located between the inside of the upper lip and the gums. If you slide your tongue up, you can feel the thick piece of skin. While the thickness varies among individuals it should not be between the two front teeth or restrict the tongue from moving back and forward in the mouth. 

The bottom frena should allow free movement of the tongue up and down and should not cause any pain when you move it around.

When your baby is born, you may notice that the frena is thicker and restricts movement, “This is referred to as being tongue-tied,” says Dr. Judith Strutz. This is one sign that may require surgery. While surgery sounds scary for a baby, lasers make this procedure safe and can help to ensure that breastfeeding is successful.

If your baby is struggling to latch onto the nipple during breastfeeding, causing pain and lack of a proper suction you may want to look in their mouth. The frenum should not restrict tongue movement. Your baby should be able to freely move the tongue towards the back of the throat and roof of the mouth.

Contact Dr. Strutzand her team today for more information.

Get Your Baby Laser Surgery

Laser surgery can help save you and your baby from hours of sleepless nights, gas and nursing pain. When your baby is born and you are staring at their perfectly formed ten fingers and ten toes, you may not notice the frenum - a thick piece of skin that attaches the lip to the roof of the mouth and another that attaches the tongue to the bottom of the mouth.  This piece of skin should not obstruct movement of the tongue, but many times it does.

Some may suggest you wait to have surgery as the skin may fix itself, but when you are nursing your baby, it can become a problem for your child and you. A lip tie or tongue-tie may mean that your baby will have difficulty correctly latching on to the nipple. In order for you baby to have the proper attachment when eating, the tongue needs to be in the correct position.

A frenum, can decrease the movement in the tongue when a baby is trying to eat, which can become painful. Babies can cause sleep deprived mothers and fathers under normal conditions, if they are not eating correctly or if they are in pain, this can cause them and you to get even less sleep.

Surgery for this can be done using lasers and completed when your baby is just a few days or weeks old.  For more information on laser surgery, contact Dr. Judy Strutz today.