Moms' babies or children are often fussy and difficult to breastfeed? Be careful, it could be that your child has a tongue disorder, which is commonly called a tongue tie.

Tongue tie or ankyloglossia is a birth defect of the baby's tongue due to a too short frenulum. The frenulum is the connective tissue between the base of the tongue and the floor of the mouth. Babies who experience tongue tie, the movement of the baby's tongue becomes limited and causes interference when breastfeeding. Tongue tie is a birth defect that affects 4-11% of newborns. Tongue tie is more common in boys than girls. If this does not interfere with the baby's activities then there is no need to worry. However, if the baby has difficulty breastfeeding and causes the baby's weight not to increase or even decrease, this should be checked by a doctor immediately.


Symptoms of a baby experiencing tongue tie include:

    A baby's tongue doesn't have an indentation at the end, so its tongue is shaped like a heart

    Difficulty lifting or moving the tongue. This can cause the baby's tongue not to attach properly to the nipple when feeding

    The baby takes a long time to feed, but still looks hungry and fussy even though he has just fed

    The baby makes sounds like tasting while feeding

    Inability to protrude tongue past upper gums


There are several types of levels of tongue tie based on tongue abnormalities that are adapted to conditions, including:

    Type 1 is when the bond is at the tip of the tongue. This condition is the most common

    Type 2 is the bond a little further behind the tip of the tongue

    Type 3, namely the bond is closer to the base of the tongue

    Type 4 is when the tongue can barely move at all


When should the baby be seen by the doctor?

Babies who experience tongue tie are advised to immediately see a doctor if they experience one or several conditions, such as:

    Difficulty breastfeeding

When a baby experiences tongue tie, the baby cannot open his mouth wide enough to suckle from the mother's breast.

    Difficulty speaking fluently

When experiencing tongue tie, the child has difficulty pronouncing certain words. Like some words consisting of consonants t, d, z, s, r and others

    Having trouble eating

When a child has difficulty eating due to tongue tie, you should immediately consult a pediatrician. Because this can affect weight gain and growth


If your baby or child has any of the above health problems, immediately consult with the nearest health service facility so they can get maximum treatment.

Greetings healthy