• About
    • Disclosure and Disclaimer Policy
  • Blog
  • Shop Ebooks
  • Recommended Products

Pediatric Feeding News

Dedicated to up to date pediatric feeding and dysphagia information

Welcome!

Hi, I'm Krisi Brackett, MS SLP/CCC this blog is dedicated to current information on pediatric feeding and swallowing issues. Email me at feedingnewsletter@gmail.com with questions.

Read More About Me Here...
  • Feeding Flock
    Research
  • For Parents
    & Caregivers
  • View The
    Resources
  • Pediatric Feeding
    & Dysphagia Newsletter
    • Volume 1
    • Volume 2
    • Volume 3
    • Volume 4
    • Volume 5
    • Volume 6
    • Volume 7
    • Volume 8
    • Volume 9
    • Volume 10
  • Workshops &
    Presentations
  • Ask Me A
    Question
  • Links
    We Like

How To Examine A Baby For Tongue-tie or Lip-Tie by Bobby Ghaheri, from the website DRGHAHERI.COM

May 1, 2014 by Krisi Brackett 2 Comments

I came across Dr. Ghaheri’s website  DRGHAHERI.COM after reading one of his blogs posted on the website Ages and Stages, http://www.agesandstages.net/. He generously gave me permission to re-post one of his blogs here on examining infants for tongue and lip tie. I am often asked about the frenulectomy’s by parents, this website has been very helpful. Great information for feeding therapists!

 
The only purpose of this post is to demonstrate how to examine a baby who may have a tongue-tie or lip- tie. Future posts will help to explain the symptoms of intraoral restrictions that can impact breastfeeding.

 

Our first year of medical school includes proper examination technique. For instance, if you don’t know where to put your stethoscope, you might miss a heart murmur. Unfortunately, we aren’t instructed on how to examine a baby who is having breastfeeding problems. If you don’t know how to properly examine a baby for tongue-tie or lip-tie, you will be more inclined to say that they don’t exist.

 

The first step is adequate illumination. A headlight is a great option and critical in freeing up both hands. There are very affordable (under $25 typically) LED camping headlights that can be used to get a great view of the mouth.

 

The next step is proper positioning. This is the most common error made by medical professionals looking for tongue-tie or lip-tie. The provider and the parent should face each other, knees touching. The baby is laid on the lap of this makeshift table, head towards the examiner. You cannot adequately evaluate a baby’s mouth when they are sitting in a parent’s lap in an upright position.

photo (1)

  

The goal of the examination is to try and determine the degree of tension of the frenulum of the lip and tongue on the surrounding tissue. Does the baby react or not? If it seems uncomfortable to them, they often squirm. If the frenulum is tight, it will often turn white or blanch. Look at where the frenulum is attaching to the gumline or tongue.

 

Video Example of Oral Exam for tongue and lip tie

 

Many providers recommend stretching exercises after a releasing procedure to avoid the possibility of reattachment of the wounds. In those instances, a parent would turn the baby so that the head is in their laps and the feet pointing away. Alternatively, the baby can lay on a changing table or mattress as the parent positions themselves about the baby to expose the lip and tongue for stretching.

 

This technique is also the preferred technique for obtaining pictures of the lip or tongue. You will need a second assistant to take the pictures once you have the lip and tongue in proper position.

Go to Dr.Ghaheri website DRGHAHERI.COM for more information, blogs, and videos.

 

 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Oral-motor and Sensory Tagged With: Dr. Ghaheri, feeding problem, frenectomy, frenulectomy, lip tie, poor latch, tongue tie

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. Janet says

    June 29, 2014 at 5:42 pm

    Thanks for this very nice “how to” video. Was this video presented as an example of Ankyloglossia? I would have determined that tongue to not be tied.

    On http://www.kiddsteeth.com/articles/websitettlnbew.pdf there is a a PPT with a diagnostic pictorial created by Lawrence Kotlow, board certified pediatric dentist. Dr. Kotlow also includes an observation data page on
    http://www.kiddsteeth.com/articles/tonguetie%20assesment.htm.

    There is also a FB site for International Affiliation of Tongue tie Professionals at https://www.facebook.com/pages/IATP-International-Affiliation-of-Tongue-tie-Professionals/154327071396819

    Reply
    • Krisi Brackett says

      July 1, 2014 at 11:30 am

      Thank you for your comment Janet and for the added resources! I just looked back on Dr. Ghaheri’s website and the video is an example of “how to examine a baby for tongue tie” so I am assuming that the purpose was to illustrate the exam only. I agree that baby did not appear to have any lingual restrictions. Krisi

      Reply

Cart

Products

  • When Your Child Can't Or Won't Eat
    Rated 1.00 out of 5
    $10.00

Recent Posts

  • Happy New Year 2023!
  • Baby-Led Bottle Feeding – Free Ebook Promotion for 4 Days
  • UNC Feeding Team presents:  Avoiding Mealtime Stress in Pediatric Feeding Disorders:  Interdisciplinary Approaches to Address Food Selectivity, Oral Aversion and Food Refusal
  • A Formula Shortage How Policy, Societal Pressure Impact Babies & Parents
  • Feeding Research: Looking for Parents of 6-12 month olds

Recent Comments

  • Sue Marolf on Feeding Flock – Feeding Assessment Tools
  • Kelsey on Hypersensitive Gag Reflex and Pediatric Feeding Delays By Donna Scarborough Ph.D., CCC-SLP, BCS-S Miami University, Oxford, OH scarbod@muohio.edu
  • Elaine Egbert on Aversive Feeding Behavior: Getting full mouth opening for the spoon and why it’s worth the trouble
  • Krisi Brackett on Feeding Flock – Feeding Assessment Tools
  • prabha on Feeding Flock – Feeding Assessment Tools

search

Categories

Archives

My Account | Shop | Shopping Cart
Copyright ©2023, Pediatric Feeding News. All Rights Reserved. Custom design by Pixel Me Designs
 

Loading Comments...