How to Recognize Newborn Lip Tie

Recognizing newborn lip tie early on can help to prevent developmental issues like difficulty suckling or speaking. A person has lip tie when the tissue right behind their upper lip is too rigid or thick, inhibiting the upper lip from moving freely.

The condition sometimes occurs with another condition called tongue tie – which occurs when the tissue that connects the bottom of the tongue to the floor of the mouth is too thick or stiff. Having both conditions can make it difficult for babies to breastfeed, and that can lead to them being malnourished.

Lip ties are not as common as tongue ties. Pediatric dentists typically do not consider newborn lip ties to be a dangerous condition as long as it is not hindering the child’s ability to grow and put on weight. The condition is also easy to correct once it has been diagnosed.

Diagnosing newborn lip tie

Trouble breastfeeding is one of the most common signs a child might have tongue tie or newborn lip tie. Signs a newborn is struggling with breastfeeding include:

• Difficulty latching on to the mother’s breast
• Struggling to breathe while breastfeeding
• Falling asleep while breastfeeding often
• Clicking sounds while suckling
• Slow weight gain
• Appearing fatigued after nursing
• Breast feeling engorged right after breastfeeding
• Pain during or after nursing
• Blocked milk ducts

Parents who notice any of these symptoms consistently should bring their newborn in for a feeding evaluation. Once the condition has been diagnosed, it can be treated with a non-invasive laser frenectomy.

Dealing with a child with lip tie

Babies with lip tie sometimes have an easier time drinking from a bottle. Pumped milk from the mother or formula works for bottle feeding. It ensures the baby’s condition does not prevent them from getting the nutrients they need to develop properly

Those who insist on breastfeeding should type to soften their breasts with some of the child’s saliva before they attempt to latch on to a nipple. The mother should also learn proper latching techniques so it is easier for the newborn to connect to a breast.

Lip tie frenectomy

Mild lip ties can be loosened by working a finger along the baby’s lips to loosen the gap between their gumline and their lips. Doing this regularly will improve the mobility of the child’s lip.

More serious cases might require treatment from a pediatric dentist. The procedure is called a frenectomy and it is often performed with a laser since this provides the least invasive approach. The traditional way to perform the procedure involved using a surgical knife, and that brought its share of complications like a need to place newborns under anesthesia. Soft tissue lasers can be used to perform the procedure, and the treatment does not cause the child pain.

Get treatment for your newborn

Is your newborn having a hard time latching on to your breasts? Bring them to our Middletown clinic so our pediatric dentist can perform a feeding evaluation and recommend appropriate treatments.

Request an appointment here: https://www.hvkidsmiles.com or call Hudson Valley Pediatric Dentistry at (845) 363-4177 for an appointment in our Middletown office.

Check out what others are saying about our dental services on Yelp: Pediatric Dentist in Middletown, NY.