Too often babies tongue frenulum (the cord of tissue that connects the tongue to the bottom of the mouth) is cut to try to help latching and nursing. I find that 98% of the time this ‘tongue tie’ is not the cause of the nursing problem. The problem is structural due to too much pressure on the head of the newborn during labor. Most of the structural problem is at the back of the head where the neck vertebrae attach.

Pressure on the back bone [Occiput] of the head and the temporal bone [ around the ear] impinge on the two [2] nerves to the tongue. This causes movement of the tongue to be inadequate. There is also another nerve coming out of this area to the side neck muscles causing these muscles to be too tight, impinging the jaw movement.

Also, the jaw of the newborn can be drawn backwards towards the neck, not allowing the jaw to open freely for nursing.

Gentle osteopathic manipulation can alleviate these structural abnormalities. It can normalize the function of the nerves.