Help Untie The Lip-Tie: Symptoms & Treatment
What is lip-tie? It’s similar to a tongue-tie, but less common, and involves the upper lip and gum. The upper lip has a connective tissue attachment called the maxillary labial frenum, and if that’s too short and tight, it can restrict the movement of the upper lip, making it hard for a baby to latch on properly.
Lip-tie vs. normal: Having a labial frenulum that connects your lip to your gums doesn’t always mean that there’s a lip tie. The key to diagnosing a lip tie is understanding if the upper lip’s movement is restricted. If the lips aren’t able to move because the membrane is rigid or tight, your baby/child may in fact be a lip-tie baby.
Lip-tie symptoms in babies:
- Slow weight gain.
- Reflux caused by swallowing too much air.
- Irritability.
- Long feedings.
- Clicking or smacking noises while feeding.
- Milk leaking from mouth while feeding
How to fix an upper lip-tie: If you’re having trouble nursing but your baby doesn’t have a tongue-tie, you can check for a lip-tie by lifting her upper lip. If it’s attached low on the gum, she may have one. Check in with a lactation consultant, who can work with you on specific positional techniques. If that doesn’t work, your pediatrician can perform a quick procedure to revise the lip-tie.
