If you notice that your baby is making smacking/clicking sounds while sucking, taking a long time to drink a whole bottle, not consuming an age-appropriate amount of formula/milk, spilling a lot of formula/milk out of their mouth, and/or very gassy after feeds then your baby could have a tongue tie. If the tongue tie is severe, it is often caught and revised when they are very young. However, when the tie is more subtle, called posterior tongue tie, they often are not caught until the baby is 1-3 months old and begins to have trouble with weight gain. It is important for your baby to get this evaluated and revised when they are young so that it does not impact them as they begin to start solid foods and eventually start to speak. Once the revision is complete by your pediatrician, it is recommended that you receive feeding therapy for your infant to make sure your child is able to coordinate, pace, and manage their formula/milk appropriately.
At TEAM 4 Kids, we have 2 highly trained therapists specializing in infant feeding therapy. While we do not do the actual tongue tie revision, we can provide the therapy services needed after the procedure! We can help with strengthening the muscles in their mouth and moving their tongue effectively.
Signs your baby may benefit from feeding therapy:
- Spits up a lot of milk
- Is not gaining weight
- Refuses to eat/drink
- Cries or fusses when feeding
- Takes a long time to drink a whole bottle
- Is very gassy after feeding
- Makes a smacking or clicking sound while sucking
If you have concerns regarding your infant’s feeding abilities, schedule your free screening or complete evaluation with an infant feeding therapist by calling TEAM 4 Kids at 1-800-376-3440. During the screening or evaluation, the therapist will look at your infant’s functional feeding skills and then provide specialist recommendations who will further assess and revise your baby’s tongue if needed.
Download our Baby Feeding Tips for Parents handout
Whitney Stefanski, M.S., CCC-SLP