MY BABY HAS A TIED TONGUE? ~ INN Nigeria

I just noticed that the tongue of my 2 -month old baby is tied to the floor of the mouth.

Although it doesn’t disturb her from sucking or crying, my mother has advised that the tongue be operated on.

I read somewhere that it is not all cases of tied tongue that should be operated on. Please, advise.

ANSWER

Tongue-tie (ankyloglossia) is a condition present at birth that restricts the tongue’s range of motion. With tongue-tie, an unusually short, thick or tight band of tissue tethers the bottom of the tongue’s tip to the floor of the mouth, so it may interfere with breast-feeding.

Someone who has tongue-tie might have difficulty sticking out his or her tongue. Tongue-tie can also affect the way a child eats, speaks and swallows.

Although some cases of tongue-tie may require a simple surgical procedure for correction, those that don’t cause any problem as in your baby’s case can be left alone.