Infant Frenectomy

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

What Does the Lingual Frenum Do for the Infant?

The lingual frenum helps extend the tongue out of the mouth. For an infant, not only does the tongue need to extend, but it also needs to curl into a U-shape around the underside of the mother’s nipple. This motion allows the nipple to be drawn to the back of the baby’s mouth. If the lingual frenum is too short, it will restrict both motions. This hinders the natural motion and stymies the baby from getting enough breast milk the infant needs.

Signs That the Infant May Need an Infant Frenectomy

If the baby does not have the natural ability to latch on to the breast and therefore pulls off or tends to slide off, this is a signal of a potential frenum problem. If you hear a sucking or clicking sound in the baby’s cheek when nursing, this is not normal. If the baby is not gaining any weight, that means the infant is not nursing properly or adequately. If the mother also has nipple pain, that is a good sign of mastitis, or breast infection. This is the result of incomplete emptying of the breast.

The Infant Frenectomy Procedure

Do not blink or you will miss this simple and quick procedure, which is a huge game-changer. Depending on the specific training of the pediatrician, the procedure will be conducted by this professional. Or it could require an ear, nose, and throat specialist or possibly an oral surgeon. This will depend on the availability in your community. The procedure is so simple and nothing more than the tongue being lifted and that tiny piece of tissue being clipped or snipped. There are very few nerves in this tissue, so there is no pain or bleeding for the infant. With that simple change, the baby will now be able to move the tongue the way it is supposed to be and take in sufficient mother’s milk.

Are There Any Age Restrictions?

The specific medical term for this malformation is ankyloglossia. The slang term is to be tongue-tied. It can be done directly after birth, or it can be performed later. There are no serious issues to be considered at any age. It is just amazing that something so simple can have such a huge impact in the first days and weeks of an infant’s life. If you are expecting a newborn soon, pay attention to their breastfeeding habits, and if you see any one of these signs mentioned above, please consult with your pediatrician immediately.

Related Article: Frenums and the Frenectomy Procedure