In this section, you will find information on what is a tongue-tie and what to do if you think your baby has a tongue-tie
A tongue-tie is when the membrane that attaches the tongue to the bottom of the mouth is tight or short. If the membrane is attached close to or at the tip of the tongue, it can have a blunt, forked or heart shaped appearance. If the membrane is attached further back, then it may look normal in appearance. Around 1 in 10 babies may have some restriction from a tight/short membrane, however only around half of those babies will have a significant restriction that may impact on feeding. Those babies may benefit from having the membrane released to enable baby to feed effectively.
If you think your baby may have a tongue-tie which is impacting their feeding, please speak with your midwife, health visitor or attend a feeding support clinic. They will be able to complete a feeding assessment, provide feeding support and if necessary, complete a tongue-tie referral. All referrals (for babies under 6 weeks) are triaged by the infant feeding team and you may be offered an appointment in one of the tongue-tie clinics in Winchester or Basingstoke.
Tongue-Tie | Practitioners Association
