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Whether you’re a new parent or this is your second or third child, each one is unique, which means that just because one never cried doesn’t mean your most recent newborn will be the same. While some individuals are familiar with colic and the week- or month-long struggle it causes, you may be unfamiliar with this problem until you’re faced with it. If you’re wondering why your baby is constantly crying for hours, it may be that a lip or tongue-tie is to blame. Read on to discover the connection between these restricted tissues and colic, and what you can do to help your little one take a break from the tears.
How is Colic Linked to a Lip or Tongue-Tie?
First, colic should be explained further, as many people mistake it for a condition or illness. It is a symptom that becomes a problem when a baby cries for more than three hours, multiple times each week, for nearly one month.
Although common among infants, it often means that something is not right, and your baby cannot tell you any other way.
If you are nursing or bottle-feeding your baby, and they struggle to latch, their excessive crying may be because they have a lip or tongue-tie – a restricted band of tissue located underneath their tongue or behind their upper lip.
According to researchers, an estimated 26-32.5% of babies or children have a posterior tongue-tie, which is often less obvious. When you compare these numbers to those of babies who experience colic, it should come as no surprise that the two can be linked.
What Kind of Treatment is Available?
While it is true that not all colic is caused by these restricted tissues, you are encouraged to meet with a local lip and tongue-tie expert who can evaluate your little one’s mouth. After thorough examination, they may suggest a frenectomy.
Frenectomies have been improving the lives and oral function of babies and children for centuries; however, those performed today use more innovative technologies for a more comfortable approach.
The professional will likely use a soft tissue laser to release the lip or tongue-tie so that it no longer causes restriction. Your child will begin to move their lip or tongue freely, up and down, left and right. It may take some time for them to adjust to the new movement, but they will pick it up quickly in the days after the procedure.
If a lip or tongue-tie is the reason for your baby’s colic, you should expect to notice a dramatic difference almost immediately. Soon, you and your little one will no longer experience an outpouring of tears but instead happiness and greater contentment each day.
About the Author
Dr. Justin Welke is a board-certified pediatric dentist who completed his general dentistry training at the University of Illinois at Chicago. After a two-year pediatric dentistry advanced program at the UIC Hospital, he went on to become a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. Offering laser frenectomies to families in need, he and his team can address problems of colic, giving parents and their little ones a reprieve from the constant crying. If your baby is continuously fussy and you don’t know why, contact us via our website or by calling (312) 248-2455 to find out if a lip or tongue-tie might be to blame.