Robin
Clamping can also be the result of tongue retraction.  When there is
clamping and clicking together, look for a short lingual frenulum first.
The bite reflex is stimulated when something touches the gums where the
teeth will be, and inhibited when this area is covered by the tongue,
which prevents us from biting our tongue.  (When we accidently bite our
tongues, it is almost always at the side, where the inhibition is less
than at the front of the mouth).  Getting a better latch, with the tongue
applied to the breast first, before the palate, often helps.  The
clicking sound is loss of negative pressure, usually because the tongue
cannot maintain simultaneous extension and elevation when there is low
tone or a tight frenulum.  (Rarely the click and loss of neg pressure
comes from a weak soft palate.)  It can take some babies a few weeks to
unlearn the clamping after the frenulum is treated.  Sometimes sublingual
pressure helps (mom pressing the soft area inside the angle of the lower
jaw with a finger to stimulate the tongue from the bottom) when the baby
starts to clamp.
--
Catherine Watson Genna, IBCLC  NYC  [log in to unmask]