New tongue-tie clinic 'saved breastfeeding journey'

Charlotte Cooney accessed the new clinic after her son Ellis underwent tongue-tie division.

A new local clinic in the North East is providing support for babies with tongue-tie.

The condition can restrict the tongue's movement and make it harder to breastfeed.

The weekly clinic, at Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital, offers breastfeeding support and tongue-tie division.

One mother, who attended the new facility, said it had saved her "breastfeeding journey".

A tongue-tie occurs when the strip of skin connecting the tongue to the bottom of the mouth is shorter than usual.

It affects about 10% of newborn babies in the UK, but often only becomes apparent when breastfeeding proves challenging.

'Crying every night'

Charlotte Cooney, 29, said she was "crying every night" before attending the Middlesbrough clinic where her three-week-old son, Ellis, underwent tongue-tie division.

“I’m a really determined person and have always wanted to breastfeed, but I honestly think if it wasn’t for the clinic I would have stopped," she said.

"It definitely saved our breastfeeding journey."

“We’ve gone from hour-long feeds to 25-minute feeds. Breastfeeding is now a joy - it’s not painful and he’s getting what he needs.”

Laura Paterson and Sarah Winspear are in charge of the new clinic

Since January, the new clinic - run by Laura Paterson and Sarah Winspear - has seen 32 babies for specialist feeding assessment and support.

Twenty-two of those babies had tongue-tie treatment at the Middlesbrough hospital.

Treatment is not always needed, but tongue-tie division is a simple and almost painless procedure that usually improves feeding straight away.

Previously, parents and their newborns had to travel as far as Newcastle or Durham for specialist support.

Ms Paterson said the South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust had to refer 102 babies to facilities elsewhere last year, meaning some families had given up on breastfeeding because of the wait.

“We hope that having our very own clinic in the paediatric day unit at James Cook will give babies the best possible start to life, and improve their long-term health," she said.