The effects of tongue- and lip-ties beyond breastfeeding: a mom’s perspective

Dr. Peterson and I have walked this journey personally. Both of our children were born with tongue-ties and lip-ties. Today, I want to share how those ties impacted our daughter Audrey’s speech, and what we’ve learned along the way.

Many parents say things like:

• “My child breastfed fine, so I don’t see a need to fix a tongue-tie or lip-tie.”
• “My child never had issues when they were younger, so I don’t expect problems later.”
• “My child will probably tear the lip-tie naturally, so treatment isn’t necessary.”

The truth is, untreated tongue-ties and lip-ties can affect a person for life. Studies link them to sleep and airway issues, enlarged tonsils and adenoids, dental problems, depression, anxiety, ADHD, bedwetting, IBS, and chronic headaches. In his book Tongue-Tied, Dr. Richard Baxter writes:

“A tongue-tie can be the hidden reason behind nursing difficulties in babies, feeding problems in toddlers, speech issues in children, and even migraines or neck pain in adults.”

Audrey’s Story

When Audrey was 8 weeks old, her tongue-tie was released, but her provider did not think her lip-tie needed treatment. At the time, Chris and I lacked education about ties, so we agreed. After her tongue-tie release, Audrey breastfed successfully for 13 months.

By age 2, we noticed her speech was hard to understand. Before starting preschool, we had her evaluated by a speech therapist. She was diagnosed with mild childhood apraxia of speech, a condition common among children with tongue-tie or lip-tie. She began weekly therapy at age 2 ½ and continued for 10 months. Her therapist later recommended a lip-tie release to improve her speech sounds.

At age 3 ½, Chris performed the lip-tie release using the Solea CO2 laser. The procedure took about 10 seconds. Audrey sat still, had no tears, no trauma, and smiled immediately afterward. She never needed pain medication, and within days we saw improvement.

Why Early Intervention Matters

We’re grateful for the knowledge we now have. Tongue-ties and lip-ties are not just infant feeding issues—they can affect speech, oral health, and overall well-being throughout life. Early treatment helps children avoid long-term struggles and gives them the best chance at success.

Our mission is to raise awareness so parents can recognize symptoms, seek treatment, and understand that tongue-tie and lip-tie releases can benefit children—and adults—of all ages.

If you’d like to learn more, I recommend Dr. Richard Baxter’s Tongue-Tied. And if you have questions, Chris and I are always happy to share our experience.