If your baby has a suspected tongue-tie that is impacting on breastfeeding, you will receive a letter inviting you and your baby to attend an appointment with one of our specialist nurses who will assess the tongue-tie.
You will need to bring your Personal Child Health Record ('red book') to the assessment.
At the assessment, the specially trained health professional will discuss your baby’s breastfeeding history and will examine your baby's tongue-tie. You will also receive advice on breastfeeding.
Your baby may or may not then be offered the tongue-tie procedure, depending on the level of impact on breastfeeding.
If the nurse recommends the tongue-tie procedure, it will be undertaken during the appointment. Before doing the procedure, the nurse will explain what is involved in tongue-tie separation, the risks involved and you will be asked to sign a consent form.
After the tongue-tie separation we encourage you to breastfeed your baby and attend a breastfeeding café or group in your area within one week of the procedure so you can receive further support with breastfeeding if you need this. No further treatment is usually required.
Please note: If you are unable to make the date and time offered, please call the tongue-tie administrator (whose details will be on the letter) so they can offer you an alternative. If you no longer need or wish your baby to have the assessment, please call the administrator so the appointment can be offered to another baby.
If at any time you have any queries concerning your child’s progress, please contact our advice line or come along to one of our child health drop-ins where we would be happy to discuss any aspect of health and well-being for you and your family.
Children can be referred by their health visitor, GP, therapist, early years' service, paediatricians based in the local acute or tertiary hospital, paediatric audiology, CAMHS or other agencies.
Referrals are made via the Children and Family Health Surrey One Stop, a centralised referral and triage service for Surrey's specialist children's services
For example, for developmental paediatrics or therapy services. Contact the One Stop referral centre (tel: 0300 222 5755, Option 2)
Contact your local Health Visiting team or call the Advice Line
Your GP will need to make a referral. Visit the Developmental Paediatrics page for more information about these services in Surrey.
Your GP needs to refer your child via CAMHS
Contact the Audiology service
Visit our feedback page to read about our approach and who to contact. You can also email the Patient Experience Team directly using csh.patientexperience@nhs.net
If your query is not covered by the routes above, please use the form below to contact us. Your query will be passed to the relevant team who will aim to respond within seven working days.
