Tongue-tie or Ankyloglossia is a mid-line anomaly and occurs as a result of incomplete cell division between the tongue and floor of the mouth at the seventh week of gestation. It is more common in boys (2:1), approximately 1:7 babies will have a tongue-tie and approximately one fifth of these will have posterior or sub-mucosal tongue tie. Tongue-tie can also occur in more than one family member.
In anterior tongue-tie, you can easily see a string of tissue (the frenulum) that attaches the tongue to the floor of the mouth. In posterior tongue-tie this tissue is more difficult to see but can be felt on palpation. If this piece of tissue is too short or tight it can cause restriction
of tongue mobility and as a consequence may affect the baby’s ability to breastfeed.
For more information about our Tongue-tie procedure, please read the Tongue-tie Assessment, Diagnosis and Treatment Guide.