Methylated Folate Deficiency: a Cause of Tongue-Tie
What is tongue-tie?
Tongue-tie, also known as ankyloglossia, is a condition that occurs when the tip of the tongue is connected to the floor of the mouth by a thick band of tissue. Down the center of the body is where most nutritional deficiencies seem to show up in the body, which is why tongue-tie is a midline defect. Unfortunately, this causes restriction and/or the inability of the baby to breastfeed. This defect occurs in about 4-11% of newborns and can go away on its own or can be treated with surgery. 1
Methylated folate deficiency and tongue-tie
As mentioned in our previous blog on this topic, folic acid is significantly more difficult to absorb than methylated folate. Many people have a common defect in their MTHFR gene, so they are completely unable to absorb folic acid. A lack of methylated folate, also known as vitamin B9, is a common cause of tongue-tie.
How can you prevent this?
Folate deficiency can be prevented by consuming methylated folate from whole foods and through supplementation. You can find our favorite methylated B vitamin and prenatal to purchase here.
1 The Intersection of Tongue Tie & MTHFR. (2014, May 23). Retrieved December 16, 2020, from http://mthfr.net/the-intersection-of-tongue-tie-mthfr/2014/05/23/