New clinic for battling babies
Bay doctors open first-ever facility to correct tongue-ties
TWO Port Elizabeth doctors opened the first tongue-tie clinic in the country at Greenacres Hospital yesterday. Ear, nose and throat specialist Dr Cameron McIntosh and dentist Dr Lenee Castelyn will run the clinic, the first of its kind, based at Netcare Greenacres Hospital.
A tongue-tie is a congenital anomaly. In babies born with a tongue-tie, the tip of the tongue cannot protrude beyond the lower incisor teeth.
It is estimated that this defect affects 4-11% of newborn babies and varies in degree from a mild form in which the tongue is bound only by a thin mucous membrane, to a severe form in which the tongue is completely fused to the floor of the mouth.
McIntosh said that normally doctors only fixed tongue-ties when children were six months old or older.
“When Lenee Castelyn came to see me to explain why it should be done earlier, I said: ‘Let’s just do it’.”
Castelyn, who also practices as a dentist in the department of maxillofacial surgery at Livingstone Hospital, said she became interested in fixing tongue-ties specifically as it impacted on babies’ ability to breast feed.
About 45% of babies with tongueties experienced feeding difficulties.
“Moms who bottle feed their babies won’t notice this,” she said.
The procedure to remove a tonguetie is called a frenotomy or frenectomy.
“It is a very simple, low-risk procedure. We do it in the doctor’s rooms by either using blunt-tipped scissors or a laser. The earlier we can do it the better,” Castelyn said.
“The latest study from America also shows that removing a tongue-tie can see a considerable improvement in reflux for babies,” Castelyn said.
McIntosh said depending on the severity of the case it could also lead to eating and speech problems.
Other health problems that could be caused by a tongue-tie are dental decay or spacing problems, speech difficulties and digestive issues.
Vera Claassen, whose baby Harry had his tongue-tie removed, said it had helped her very much as she was struggling to breastfeed him.
“I wanted to try everything before I gave up. Since we had his tongue-tie removed, we have had no problems at all,” she said. “We saw an immediate difference in breastfeeding and reduction in his reflux problems.”
Castelyn said moms who were struggling to breastfeed because their babies had tongue-ties should consult with a lactation specialist or another medical specialist who would refer them to the clinic if the baby’s problem was caused by a tongue-tie.
“Treating tongue-ties is a medical service that is well known overseas but not really in South Africa.
“There isn’t anything like this in South Africa,” McIntosh said.