This is an edited version of the reply I wrote a couple of days ago to the same question on LN on FB.

When Betty Coryllos was still with us, she was one of the few doctors still practicing who clipped babies routinely in hospital back in the day when parents were not even asked. She witnessed the transition from breast to AF and the loss of assessment and revision skills that came with it. But, she was the first to say that ties were both on the rise and becoming more severe (PTTs are not less severe by any means). She was the first person to clip PTTs and to teach others to do them.. Far more than 4-5% of babies are tied and some family practice docs will tell you it's close to 50% in their practices (which is where Larry got that number). 

TT is X-linked,  which means that historically 1 girl:2 boys was diagnosed. In a poster presented at the IATP Members' meeting in 2010, it was discovered that the ratio for boys:girls of PTTs is 1:1, meaning that if the data is accurate, while ATTs are X-linked, PTTs are not; they are epigenetic: environmentally driven. 

I stumbled onto the folic acid connection in 2007, shortly after Betty and I began to discuss the nutrients that affect that midline; I then discussed the topic with a nutritionist friend, who pointed me towards MTHFR. Betty and I had actually planned to develop a study on the topic, but she became ill and of course, passed away last year. We did discuss this possibility of this connection at IATP in 2010 after I had mentioned the theory to Isabella Knox and several of us have been pursuing the methylation connection as well as other possibilities ever since. It is clear to me that methylation pathways are impaired in these kids and that nutrition and environmental toxins play a role, but epigenetics demands we throw away outdated medical and disease models and most folks are too entrenched to do that yet.

A couple of years ago I approached Ben Lynch--one of the world's leading experts on MTHFR with my theories, as I had begun sending my families with TTd babies for MTHFR testing and over 90& were positive. He did some research and presented a lecture that I sponsored, after which he presented the information at IATP 2013. 

Last year I also gave a lecture at IATP on neural crest migration and the development of the midline and this year I presented a webinar with a dentist on breastfeeding and airway development. (So, I disagree with those who think that not revising is a functionally viable option as breastfeeding is the architect of the airway). I also lectured at the Mt Sinai School of Dentistry on breastfeeding TT and methylation in April--fortunately many people are becoming very open-minded, especially those interested in airway function, epigenetics, gut health and prevention. There will be several presentations that relate to epigenetics and tongue-tie at IATP this year as well, as this is a topic that needs ongoing discovery and discussion. The dots are there--it just takes a new paradigm to connect them.  What is really urgent to me about the airway development piece of this is that is removes the breast/bottle "solution"--everyone needs a functional airway and pushing kids who don't nurse towards bottle-feeding is a very bad idea if you want to turn the tide on ADHD, diabetes, sleep apnea and Alzheimer's.
Jennifer


Jennifer Tow, IBCLC, USA & France
Intuitive Parenting Network, LLC
 




 




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