Regarding waiting to see if the frenulum will stretch (and other
reasons for waiting):  Yes, sometimes they do seem to take care of
themselves.  Also, there seem to be some nursing couplets for whom
it doesn't cause any problems.  The problem with waiting, however,
is that if it becomes apparant that it needs to be done, there can
be some catching up to do.  By the time it is done, baby may have
learned to compensate and may need to be retrained how to nurse.
It's as if they don't "realize" that the tongue is now free to move.


The most extreme case I ever say was a mom who struggled for several
months with borderline problems.  The tongue had been looked at and
didn't seem to be "tied".  This was a LLL Leader, so she certainly
had lots of knowledge herself.  Finally, one person noted when the
baby opened his mouth and moved it "just so" that the frenulum did
appear a little short.  However, once clipped, the mom did have to
work with the baby to get him to extend his now more mobile tongue.
It took a few weeks.

Since snipping the frenulum in a newborn is such a minimally
invasive procedure, it would seem that if there is any question, it
would be better to snip than to not snip.  This is where a tool such
as Hazlebaker's assessment scale would be very helpful.  (For those
not familiar with it, see the Nov 2002 Pediatrics article.)

Winnie

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