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Tongue tie (over six weeks)

A tongue-tie is a fold of membrane that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth. Sometimes the membrane can be shorter than normal causing some restriction in the movement of the tongue.

Some tongue-ties are easy to see and others are less obvious. About half of babies with a tongue-tie have someone else in the family who also has one. It is more common in boys. Research done in Southampton shows that over 10% of babies are born with this. 

Some medical experts say that having a tongue-tie will not affect the way your baby feeds, but we have found that a number of babies who have tongue-tie may find feeding more difficult.

If you have concerns about your baby's feeding or tongue-tie, you should speak to your midwife, feeding specialist, health visitor or GP.

Other websites

The Unicef UK Baby Friendly Initiative