In looking at a 6 week old baby today whose mother has cracks on both sides, in
the fold between nipple and areola, I discovered that his labial frenum is
prominent, and fastened at the gum line and nearly at his lip edge.

He never flanges his upper lip outward on his own, and mother is unable to flip
it out on both sides at once.  Whatever side is down, stays curled around his
gum as he feeds, and I believe this is the cause of her never-healing cracks,
which are very uncomfortable during feeds.  Infection has been ruled out
already.  Baby is gaining like gangbusters and is happy.  His jaw is not tense.
 This is a lip problem.  Mother intends to keep breastfeeding but would enjoy it
a lot more without the pain.

I've never even noticed a labial frenum before, never looked for one (I mostly
work with mothers in hospital and the kinds of problems they present seem to
develop over a longer time than a usual post-partum stay).  None of our docs
have experience with doing anything with them.  Can anyone with experience with
this please share, treatment and results, and possibly criteria for treatment? 
Respond to the list as I imagine there are others who will find it useful.

Apologies if this has been discussed at length before 1999 - I can't recall it
being mentioned except in passing since I subscribed myself.  I'm at work and
don't have time for an archives search.

Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway

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