NewsNational

Actions

Hidden tissue attached to Florida infant's tongue provides challenge for doctors

Posted at 7:26 AM, Feb 28, 2019
and last updated 2019-02-28 08:26:31-05

It's a nightmare for any new parents: their newborn doesn't eat or sleep.

Doctors aren’t sure why. Reflux is a common diagnosis. When the correct diagnosis is finally made, it’s not their stomach at all.

There’s never been anything wrong with baby Holden’s appetite but satisfying it was a frightening struggle.

“He needed to eat. He wanted to eat, and it was a struggle for me to keep him on me because he would just go ‘pwapwapwa’,” Jray Lieberman, Holden’s mother, said.

That’s because extra tissue tied to the bottom of his tongue was pulling his mouth off his mother. It’s called tongue tie.

“Studies have shown that if you don’t fix it in some kids, when they get older, they could have issues with taking food.” — Dr. Monica Kharbanda

“I was a nervous wreck, honestly,” Jray said.

Dr. Monica Kharbanda, a BayCare pediatrician, says problems breastfeeding are one of the best early-warning signs of tongue tie.

“Studies have shown that if you don’t fix it in some kids, when they get older, they could have issues with taking food,” Kharbanda said.

And also with oral hygiene and speech. Ignoring it can be a real problem later.

Dr. Larry Lieberman of Dental Arts of Palm Harbor said, “We’ll end up having to get the tissue because we’re trying to move the teeth orthodontically or we’re trying to restore teeth, and there’s that big hunk of tissue in between the teeth. It really is a big issue that most parents have no idea about.”

To fix it, a surgery called a frenectomy can cut and remove the tissue. Coincidentally, his grandfather, Larry Lieberman, is a dentist. And a laser he uses in his practice removed his grandson’s extra tissue.

“I would not clip every tongue tie that I see. It depends on the positioning of it. How symptomatic the child is,” Kharbanda said. But it worked for Holden.

“Having this addressed correctly from the beginning is just really important. It will save a lot of heartache,” Jray said.

Holden’s mother says the proof is in the pudding … or should we say the peas? No one is sure why, but tongue tie is more common in boys than girls.