What does tongue-tie look like?
A. Tongue-tie, or ankyloglossia, occurs when the lingual frenulum under the tongue is too short or displaced anteriorly. This may limit mobility of the tongue. When the baby attempts to stick out the tongue, the tongue appears heart-shaped or has a V-shaped notch at the tip. Tongue-tie occurs in about 5% of infants. Significant tongue-tie may result in breastfeeding difficulties, including inadequate milk transfer and sore nipples. If tongue-tie results in breastfeeding difficulties, it may be corrected with a simple procedure, frenotomy, or with a more elaborate procedure, frenuloplasty.
