Lisa Marasco posted:
"I considered how many of these children and people have passed through the
system with the etiology of their feeding and speech problems never
identified. It became clear to me that the SP profession in general was not
much higher on the ankyloglossia learning curve than the pediatricians, and
thus likely reinforced each other's opinions on the topic. It was an
eye-opening moment."
 
I have become fascinated with tongue tie after learning so much from Cathy
Genna and others, to the point that it can be very distracting.  When
talking with parents I can almost immediately spot when they are tongue tied
now.  If Mom says breastfeeding is painful or latching is difficult, I
always assess the baby for tongue and lip restrictions and ask the parents
to lift their tongue.  Baby's almost always matches one of the parents.
Many of the parents have perfect speech, but I have noticed that they
compensate for their own restrictions by using their tongues in a different
way.  When I ask if there is a family history of tongue tie or speech
therapy, many tell me that they and their siblings all had speech therapy,
or that they cannot pronounce certain words, or that they had braces or
palate expanders.  If you just listen but don't look at the tongue placement
when they talk, you wouldn't know there was any restriction.  Others have
obvious speech issues. 
 
The Speech Therapists at my facility were all unaware that tongue tie could
have any impact on breastfeeding ability.  It was not taught to them in
school.  I have talked to many Speech Therapists who work in school and when
I asked them how many of their students with speech problems are also tongue
tied, they give me a puzzled look and say "none".  I agree with Lisa that
this issue seems to have been omitted from their education just as it has
been for pediatricians, ENTs, and dentists.  The only practitioners I know
who are aware of this issue learned it on their own, after their formal
education.  I know this because I ask them all.  I just had a conversation
about tongue tie today with my own dentist and sent him to Brian Palmer's
website.  We also had a discussion about whether or not wisdom teeth were
needed.  He said that they should be removed in most people because they
have hereditarily small jaws so there is no room for them.  I asked him why
we would have a body part that had no purpose and why the jaw would be too
small to fit a normal part.  He had no idea.  So we discussed the role of
breastfeeding in normal mouth and jaw development.  Again, he had no clue. 
 
We have a lot of work to do. 
 
Linda Anderegg, BSN, RNC, IBCLC in Chicago
 
 

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