How to know if your baby is affected by sucking problems?

Breastfeeding or bottle-feeding should be a moment of sweetness and connection with your baby. Yet, sometimes difficulties can disturb this harmony, and when your baby struggles to latch, it’s easy to feel helpless.

Sucking problems are often the cause of these challenges, and they are more common than we think. What signs should alert you? What should you do if your baby is affected?

In this article, Gaëlle Dupin, chiropractor, explains the signs to watch for, possible solutions, and why early intervention is crucial for your baby’s well-being and development.

Signs to look out for

Certain behaviors from your baby can indicate sucking problems:

• Not gaining enough weight

• Falling asleep too quickly at the breast, feeding seems to tire them out too quickly

• Needing to return to the breast every hour (because they’re not getting enough)

• Their tongue clicks while nursing

• Losing milk while feeding (milk spills out of their mouth)

• Getting frustrated while feeding

• Their tongue doesn’t lift when they cry

• Having a blister on the upper lip

• Struggling to stay latched and slipping off the breast

• One breast is harder to latch onto than the other

• You seem to have low milk supply

• Having reflux, a lot of gas, and burping

• Sleeping with their mouth open

If you notice several of these signs, your baby may have difficulty sucking properly.

If your baby is bottle-fed, some of these signs may not be visible because extracting milk from a bottle is less complex. However, you may observe that your baby takes a long time to finish their bottle, spills milk, clicks their tongue, gets frustrated, and has digestive issues (due to swallowing air).

Why see a specialist?

A therapist specialized in sucking problems can assess several crucial aspects:

• Their cervical mobility (as well as overall body mobility)

• Their skull, since cranial nerves that innervate the face and mouth exit through openings between the cranial bones

• Their jaw

• All the muscles of the mouth and tongue (17 muscles for the tongue alone!)

• Their tongue and lip frenulum, and possible cheek frenulums

By working on all of these elements, most babies will regain good sucking ability, allowing breastfeeding to continue.

In her practice, Gaëlle observes that in 80% of cases, cervical, cranial, and muscular work is sufficient to restore proper sucking, allowing breastfeeding to continue or making bottle-feeding more pleasant.

However, in 20% of cases, this is not enough due to restrictive tongue ties. Gaëlle collaborates with midwives, breastfeeding consultants, and dentists trained to perform frenectomies if needed.

What happens if sucking problems go untreated?

It’s important to understand that the sucking issue is temporary because as your child grows, they will stop breastfeeding. However, the underlying causes (tension, tongue ties, mobility issues, etc.) can have long-term consequences. Indeed, due to restrictive ties and tension under the tongue, the child may not be able to rest their tongue properly on the roof of the mouth, which can lead to:

• A high, narrow palate requiring orthodontic treatments

• Mouth breathing

• Snoring or sleep apnea

• Cervical tension or headaches

• Poor posture

• Oral sensory issues

• Poor pronunciation

• Retrognathia (retracted chin)

• Cavities

• Attention disorders (due to poor breathing and poor sleep)

Early intervention, ideally before 3 months of age, can prevent these consequences and help your child develop in a balanced way.

Early intervention makes a lasting difference

Gaëlle recommends having your baby evaluated by a specialized therapist as early as their first month of life. Although lists of professionals can be found online, they are not always exhaustive. Don’t hesitate to consult with midwives, breastfeeding counselors, or qualified manual therapists (osteopaths, chiropractors) to find someone trained to help.

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Sucking problems can seem daunting, but with early diagnosis and support from skilled professionals, they are often resolved quickly. These efforts will help your baby thrive, benefiting from a peaceful feeding experience and optimal development.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Gaëlle Dupin. Her practice is located in Ferney-Voltaire. You can reach out or book an appointment via her website at https://chiro-gex.fr/votre-chiropracteur-gaelle-dupin/.