My baby has tongue-tie, should I be worried?
What is tongue-tie in children?
Tongue-tie (ankyloglossia) is a problem with the tongue that is present from birth.
Frenulum linguae breve is defined as a too short or thickened mucosal/fascial fold under the tongue with deficient elasticity. The reported incidence is between 0.88% and 12.8%, it happens in boys slightly more than in girls.
What causes tongue-tie in a child?
Tongue-tie happens when the tongue and frenulum don’t form quite normally. Healthcare providers aren’t sure exactly what causes this. Tongue-tie runs in some families, so your family health history may play a role.
When that happens, the tongue can’t move around normally. Your child might have trouble sticking his or her tongue out, moving it from side to side, or bending it to touch the upper teeth.
Tongue-tie is different in each child. The condition is divided into categories, based on how well the tongue can move.
What are the symptoms of tongue-tie in a child?
Extreme cases of ankyloglossia or lip tie my still required treatment, even if a surgical intervention is ruled out. Although speech impediments may not often be related to tongue tie, many other functional limitation are:
- Orthodontic
- Functional limitations in breastfeeding
- Swallowing
- Articulation
- Limited oral clearance
- Psychological issues
Your child may not have any problems from his or her tongue-tie. Many children do not. Others may have certain problems such as:
- A gap between the bottom 2 front teeth
- Problems keeping the mouth healthy, which can cause tooth decay
When should I call my child’s healthcare provider?
Call your child’s healthcare provider or breastfeeding specialist if your child is having trouble breastfeeding. If you believe your child is having problems making sounds, see your child’s healthcare provider or a speech therapist.
Tongue-tie can make it hard for your child to do other activities.
If not corrected, your baby may not gain weight normally. It causes some women to give up breastfeeding earlier than they would like.
Tongue-tie often doesn’t keep babies from learning to speak. Your child may just have trouble making certain sounds such as t, d, z, s, th, n, and l.
The procedures frenotomy or simple release of the frenulum and frenuloplasti (release with the plastic repair) are two most commonly used surgical procedures in the treatment of ankyloglossia in several cases.
Next steps
Tips to help you get the most from a visit to your child’s healthcare provider:
- Know the reason for the visit and what you want from the health provider
- Before your visit, write down questions you want answered
- At the visit, write down the name of a new diagnosis, and any new medicines, treatments, or tests. Also write down any new instructions your provider gives you for your child
- Know why a new medicine or treatment is prescribed and how it will help your child. Also know what the side effects are
- Ask if your child’s condition can be treated in other ways
- Know why a test or procedure is recommended and what the results could mean
- Know what to expect if your child does not take the medicine or have the test or procedure
- If your child has a follow-up appointment, write down the date, time, and purpose for that visit
Conclusion
As long as a lack of evidence persists in the treatment for tongue and lip tie, speech and language therapists will have to continue to use their own judgment and experience for recommending and treating the conditions.