Painkillers and tongue tie treatment…
People sometimes ask me why I don’t use local analgesia before a tongue tie division. Although there are a handful of hospitals in the UK that do use local analgesics in younger babies for scissors frenulotomy, most don’t.
The procedure is very quick and simple in young babies, taking just a few seconds. If we use numbing gel, the baby may not feed as well after the procedure, which can mean they are harder to comfort.
Also, if a baby doesn’t feed well after the division, this can also increase the risk of bleeding (the feeding motion of pushing down the tongue usually helps any bleeding to stop quickly). As the procedure is very quick, and babies often settle well afterwards with feeding, many practitioners feel that on balance, it isn’t necessary to numb baby’s mouth.
Some families like to give liquid paracetamol to babies who are over 8 weeks, especially if baby is a little fussy later on. Some families may also choose to give paracetamol before the procedure if they wish. Breast milk also contains hormones that either have analgesic properties or can be converted by the body into analgesic substances!
