What Is Tongue Tie? The Underreported Condition That Affects Breastfeeding

When you welcome a newborn into the world, your baby will be checked for any signs of health problems or complications, from an unusual heart beat to irregular skin color or texture.

Still, sometimes certain problems aren't spotted until after you leave the hospital. Recently, "Selling Sunset" star Heather Rae El Moussa brought attention to one of those infant complications known as tongue-tie, which the Mayo Clinic defines as "a condition present at birth that restricts the tongue's range of motion."

Tongue-tie in babies is actually pretty common but may not be spotted until after your baby starts feeding. "About one in 10 to 15 kids, more boys than girls, have tongue-tie, or ankyloglossia," Hansa Bhargava, MD, a pediatrician and WebMD's senior medical director, told POPSUGAR. "Children who have tongue-tie may have trouble breastfeeding and, as they get older, speaking, eating, and sticking out their tongue."

El Moussa confirmed this in a February Instagram post, revealing that her newborn Tristan, whom she shares with husband Tarek El Moussa, had tongue tie, cheek tie, lip tie, and jaundice, all of which made breastfeeding incredibly difficult. Fortunately, her lactation specialist and Tongue Tie Tribe spotted the problem. "I'm so lucky to have found them for the knowledge & support🙏🏻 but it made it very hard for him [Tristan] to latch & suck and it made it so that he was burning a lot of calories because it was so hard for him to eat so his weight was dropping," El Moussa wrote.

More recently, El Moussa provided an update after her son's tongue-tie surgery to address these complications. "Such a strong boy after his tongue tie revision," El Moussa wrote over a photo of her 4-month-old on an Instagram Story on June 13. "Getting lots of snuggles."

Lucky for El Moussa and her newborn Tristan, she had access to an attentive team of experts that could spot the condition, but that's not always the case for new moms. And many who struggle to breastfeed will experience feelings of guilt and shame, when it could be due to a common — and treatable — condition like tongue-tie.

Ahead, learn more about tongue-tie in babies, how to spot the signs of tongue-tie, and tongue-tie surgery.

Tongue-tie is "a condition in which your child's tongue remains attached to the bottom of their mouth," per Cleveland Clinic. This occurs when a particular tissue responsible for connecting the tongue and the floor of the mouth is shorter than usual.

Tongue-tie, or ankyloglossia, is most commonly spotted in newborns. But adults can have it too given that minor cases of tongue-tie can go undiagnosed in childhood.

Difficulty breastfeeding is just one of the ways in which tongue-tie may present itself. If you're breastfeeding your baby and notice the following, they could be dealing with tongue-tie, according to the UK's National Health System (NHS).

Additionally, the Mayo Clinic lists these other signs and symptoms to look out for:

Mild cases of tongue-tie that don't interfere with the baby's feeding or talking might not need to be fixed. "But if it's creating issues and your child has difficulty moving his tongue, we may recommend surgery," Dr. Bhargava said.

"It's a pretty simple procedure that usually means cutting the tissue to free the tongue." The NHS adds that there are "very few nerve endings in the area around the floor of the mouth," so babies tend to sleep through the process (due to anesthesia) or cry for just a few seconds.

There's no age limit on tongue-tie surgery. "The procedure can be performed on a newborn infant or an older adult. It's a minimally invasive procedure with few side effects," according to Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry, a California-based family practice.