¿Qué es el frenillo lingual en los bebés?

Frenillo lingual known as ankyloglossia - is where the strip of skin connecting the baby's tongue to the bottom of their mouth is shorter than usual. This shortened piece of skin, called a frenulum, can interfere with a baby’s ability to move their tongue.

Michelle Lyne, education advisor at the Royal College of Midwives, says tongue-tie doesn't normally cause pain, but it can impact how easily a baby can move their tongue. "Signs include the tip of the tongue not protruding beyond the lower gum ridge which may mean that your baby may have difficulty attaching to the breast when alimentarse," dice ella.

A baby with tongue-tie may also struggle to feed with a biberón too. Some babies who have tongue-tie do not seem to be bothered by it and can feed successfully. In others, however, it can restrict the tongue's movement significantly, making it harder or even impossible to feed.

If you look in your baby's mouth, you might be able to see signs of tongue tie. For example, they may not be able to extend their tongue fully, or their tongue may have a heart-shaped appearance at the tip. Your bebé may find it hard to lift up their tongue or move it around.

Puede ser difícil saber si un bebé tiene anquiloglosia, pero es posible que pueda detectar los síntomas si su bebé tiene problemas para alimentarse. Si cree que su bebé tiene anquiloglosia, es importante obtener un diagnóstico adecuado y apoyo para la alimentación de una partera, un visitante de salud o su médico de cabecera.

Dificultad para agarrarse al pecho al amamantar

A alimentado exclusivamente con leche materna baby may have trouble latching onto the breast or maintaining their latch. They may be clamping down on the breast or making a clicking noise while feeding.

Comportamiento inquieto al alimentarse

You may also be able to tell from their behaviour too, for example, if they seem unsettled while feeding. A baby with tongue-tie may need to be fed very often to get enough milk. If se alimenta con biberón, pueden tener dificultades para beber sin atragantarse, incluso con una tetina de biberón de flujo lento.

Signs of tongue-tie can include your bebé being slow to take to a bottle, dribbling a lot during feeds and frequently pushing the bottle teat out of their mouth.

Falta de aumento de peso

There may be other reasons why your baby is struggling to put on peso, but tongue-tie may be an issue. Speak to your midwife, health visitor or doctor to make sure no other problems, such as a alergia a la leche, son la causa. Cualquier bebé que tenga dificultades para ganar peso debe ser evaluado por un médico.

Problemas con gases o cólicos

Some babies with tongue-tie may also be susceptible to cólico, un término utilizado para describir cuando un bebé llora durante largos períodos sin una causa obvia. También pueden tener problemas con gases, hipo o reflujo, como resultado de tener que esforzarse más para alimentarse y tragar aire en exceso.

Ingurgitación o conductos de leche bloqueados

Babies with tongue-tie may not be able to drain the breast milk properly, which can lead to breast engorgement - when they feel hard or painful - or blocked milk ducts, which can be uncomfortable and cause a lump. You may also get mastitis, una inflamación dolorosa del tejido mamario que a veces implica una infección.

No se sabe por qué ocurre el frenillo lingual, pero la investigación sugiere que puede ser genético. Esto significa que un bebé puede tener más probabilidades de nacer con frenillo lingual si la madre o el padre tuvieron la condición cuando eran bebés (2).

El tratamiento no siempre es necesario si tu bebé puede alimentarse sin problemas. Sin embargo, si su alimentación se ve afectada, el tratamiento del frenillo lingual implica un procedimiento simple llamado división del frenillo o frenulotomía. "Esto es donde se corta la tira de piel entre la lengua y el piso de la boca," dice Lyne.

As there are few nerve endings in this strip of skin, anaesthetic isn't normally needed in very young babies. Older babies who have teeth may need general anaesthetic while they have the procedure. It is a quick procedure that takes a few seconds and heals within a couple of days. Babies should be able to feed straight away afterwards.

"Often, babies with the condition will have no symptoms and can amamantar effectively and it often resolves by itself without the need for treatment," says Lyne. "Treatment can also be achieved conservatively with breastfeeding support and or tongue exercises."

También es importante señalar que los problemas relacionados con el frenillo lingual pueden no aparecer hasta que las visitas de la partera hayan terminado, de 10 a 14 días después del nacimiento, lo que hace más difícil recibir un diagnóstico.

Si te preocupa que tu bebé tenga frenillo lingual y tenga dificultades para alimentarse, no dudes en contactar a tu partera, a tu visitante de salud, a tu médico de cabecera o a un especialista en frenillo lingual.

1. La red de alimentación infantil del GP en el Reino Unido: Anquiloglosia.

2. Soo-Hyung Han et al, Un estudio sobre la herencia genética de la anquiloglosia basado en el análisis de pedigrí.