A new service to treat babies with tongue-tie will be launched at Tameside Hospital’s maternity unit from November.
With around 3,000 births in Tameside and Glossop each year, around 300 babies could be born with tongue-tie, or ankyloglossia. A proportion of those affected infants that require separation of their tongue-tie by a small procedure called frenulotomy.
Around 10.7 per cent of newborns are tongue-tied, with the condition more common in boys. Up to 44 per cent may have problems breastfeeding and a proportion of those affected infants require frenulotomy, which can help to rectify breast or bottle feeding difficulties.
TamesideHospital’s frenulotomy service will:
▪ Ensure that babies diagnosed with tongue-tie are referred and treated in a timely manner to enable breast/ bottle feeding to become established;
▪ Ensure that babies receive timely intervention for frenulotomy, thus enabling continued breast feeding support;
▪ Reduce the extra clinical support needed for women with problems associated with tongue-tie, as early treatment will enable feeding to become established at the earliest opportunity.
This service is offered by Helen Howard, the Infant Feeding Co-ordinator and Lactation Consultant atTamesideHospital. For further information call Helen on 07747021465 or 0161 331 612.
