Tongue-tie is another mother’s favourite topic for the Paediatricians! Oh yes! You can not be a Paediatrician;Â no, you cannot say you are a practising doctor in Nigeria, West Africa if at least one mother has not asked you to help check if her newborn or infants has tongue-tie or not!!
An average Nigerian mother believes that the number one cause of speech delay in children is the so-called “tongue-tie”!!! They strongly believe this “tongue-tie” must be cut or else the child will not be able to speak on time or the speech will not be clear. So it is not unusual for us who are Developmental Paediatricians to be asked to check if a child brought to us on account of speech delay has tongue-tie or not! Indeed many would have gone ahead to cut the “tongue-tie” maybe once or twice before coming to you after realizing there is no improvement in the child’s speech despite the tongue-tie surgeries.
This worry is so prevalent that some unscrupulous hospitals have decided to take undue advantage of ignorant and unsuspecting parents by telling them they will “cut” the tongue-tie for a fee! They do this “surgery” routinely which is highly unnecessary in all newborns just for profits. Some parents who want a cheaper option use the untrained “local surgeon” to do the cutting. The latter often use unsterilized instruments putting the baby at risk of infections and tetanus. The cut may also heal with fibrosis leading to more complications.
It takes a lot of efforts to convince the mothers otherwise; some do not even believe you when you tell them the child does not have tongue-tie or that tongue-tie is not the cause of the child’s speech delay. On the Ask The Paediatricians Facebook Group, the tongue-tie issue is one of the most frequently asked questions hence the need to address the issue. This post is to inform parents and deliver them from the unnecessary worry and anxiety about tongue-tie.
The tongue is normally connected to the floor of the mouth by a thin membrane called frenulum in medical jargon. This frenulum is a normal structure in the body and usually very thin and does extend to middle of the back of the tongue. This is to allow the free protusion of the tongue out of the mouth when necessary. However, this is what many interpreted as tongue-tie. It is not a tie….it is normal.
There are rare instances when the frenulum instead of being a thin membrane can be thick, muscular or extend further to the tip of the tongue leading to limitation of the movement of the tongue. This is called anklyoglossia or the true “tongue-tie”. It is only in cases of anklyoglossia that surgery is necessary to free the tongue so that it can move freely.
Ankyloglossia is usually something very obvious! You will see it and will not need to ask someone to check. It also has obvious symptoms. These include difficulty with breastfeeding in the baby, unclear speech due to difficulty with pronunciation of certain consonants in older children (not speech delay). There may also be difficulty with some oral activities like licking ice-cream and oral hygiene. If you see all these symptoms in a child with suspected tongue-tie, then see a doctor.
However if your child can lift out the tongue, cries and sucks well, s/he does not have tongue-tie. Please do not mistaken the normal frenulum for tongue-tie or go around cutting it. If you are not sure, you can ask your trusted Paediatrician to examine the baby. Let me also conclude by saying that tongue-tie, even the confirmed one does not cause speech delay. That is pure myth!
Whao, thanks ma. I’m more informed now. May God continue to strengthen and favour you and your crew always.
Merry Xmas and a great new year in advance ma.
Thank you Mummy Ademide. Keep reading all our articles and get better informed. Wishing you merry xmas and happy new year too!
Good evening Dr. Gbemisola. I just discovered my child has tongue and lip ties. what hospital in Lagos can we find you so we can come from an appointment this Saturday.
Really? You can go to any of the government hospitals preferably a Teaching Hospital for proper evaluation first.
For urgent questions, always ASK ON OUR ASK THE PAEDIATRICIANS FACEBOOK GROUP.
God bless you for this information doctor. I was told to check if my baby has tongue tie but I don’t even know what or where to check it. Thanks once again.
Thanks!
You can always post questions that require immediate answers on our Facebook group
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Thank you so much ma, am so happy for this post, my son is 4years but cant pronounce clearly but laugh and cry very well, I v bn confuse about this tongue tie. Now I know my son wil speak clearer later. God bless you ma
You are welcome…..Kindly see a Speech therapist for further assistance.
You should see a Speech therapist to know why the words are not clear. There are many possibilities.
A Child That Use To Talk Very Well Before But Cannot Talk Very Well Again Not Tongue Tie But Due To Seizure Nd On Drug Like Phernobar, Cabamazapine Nd Phytolin What Should We Do.
Kindly see a Paediatric Neurologist for further evaluation and management.
Can tongue tie surgery be done in adults? Where should I go to do it? And how much does it cost? I really need this plssse
I am a Paediatrician and I am not aware of need for tongue tie surgery in an adult. If an adult has speech delay, please do not assume tongue tie; kindly see a neurologist. If you want to know more about tongue tie surgery, see your family physician or general surgeon. All the best.
God will continue to bless you ma. Please my son is a year and 8months and he is yet to have clarity of speech. He talks but can’t hear him clearly. Pls ma clear my doubts once again
I think you should give him time. After 2 years, if the speech is not clear, kindly see a Developmental Paediatrician or Speech therapist for further management
my son is 7 and his words are yet to clear,some people said with time it will, but am very much worried,thanks ma
You should book consultation with our Developmental Paediatrician or Speech therapist for further assessment to know what the issue is. A 7 year old should be speaking full sentences.
Dr. Please what could actually be the cause of speech delay? Because my son of two years and eleven months has not started talking
There are many possible causes of developmental delay in children. You should see a Paediatrician or speech therapist for proper evaluation. Read more articles on the website. For urgent questions and answers, please post your questions directly to our Facebook group
Confuse mum…. My son will be 3yrs in October… He can only recite rhymes and clap his hands to the tunes …he can’t call mama or Dada..his very active and can recite ABC in rhymes… My other kids are early talker … What do I do ma… He’s in preschool now
Your cchild has significant speech delay and MUST be seen by a Developmental Paediatrician immediately. Please treat as urgent!
Thanks doc… Can u direct me to any development pediatricians?… Am in Lokoja ma
Hi Adenike! I am a Developmental Paediatrician but based in Lagos. The few I know in Nigeria are in Lagos but you can see a Paediatric Neurologist at your Teaching Hospital in Ilorin
Hello doctors, my baby of 3 months 2 weeks old has a PCV of 30. Is it something to worry about
It depends on many factors….however I guess there is a reason the doctor is doing the PCV. It is that doctor that will decide if there is need to worry o r not
My son is 31 month old and has not started talking but he hears when you talk to him please what can I do
You should take him to see a Paediatrician preferably a Developmental Paediatrician or Speech therapist for further evaluation. Autism spectrum disorder too must be ruled out. A 2 year old should be talking at least phrases.
My 4 years old has speech delay, can recite, write clearly and talk a little now but sometimes not clear especially when he’s angry, ‘autism’ ruled out though. He’s been seen a therapist for months now, how do I help to speed the process?
My older son of 6+ has tongue tie, I got to know in the process of evaluating the bro.
Can it still be corrected?
Thanks!
I am not sure how autism is ruled out and I really hope the child was evaluated by trained professionals – Developmental Paediatrician and Speech therapist. Tongue tie does not cause speech delay. If the child is already getting therapy, simply continue as long as this is by trained professionals. You just have to be patient with the process and ensure you engage the child with all the recommendations of therapists. The rate of progress depends on the child’s diagnosis and level of severity of whatever developmental condition he has.
My son is two and has the frenulum to the tip of his tongue. This is obvious when he cries. He finds it difficult to chèw and swallow solid foods when forced takes 2 hrs to eat. Been to see the doc and they still say there is nothing like tongue tie. Please what should I do?
Nothing! If you have seen a doctor and has been reassured that your child does not have tongue tie, he most likely did not have one. Difficult to chew or swallow has absolutely nothing to do with tongue-tie. It is not a symptom of tonge-tie. You should see a Paediatrician for your concerns about feeding and swallowing solids ina 2 year old.
Hello Ma,thank you very much for shedding more light on this tongue tie issue.I’ve read comments from concerned mom’s and I happen to be one.My son will be 3 in may,i noticed he is most times unable to pronounce the last letter in a word.E.G cat is ca,sleep is slee,wake is way.Should I take him to a Dr?If yes pls refer me to one in Lagos
That is not due to tongue tie but something you may need to see a Speech therapist for. Most Teaching Hospital should have at least one speech therapist.
Well done,doctors and thank,to ur good work I have been following this group on Facebook but u never discussed anything related to HBSS in children am a victim of As and As marriage my first daughter as hbss blood type pls i need ur advice on hw i can be taking good care of her and what I can do if I want hv more babies Note she is 6 year old thanks ma and God bless u d more
Hi Boluwaji.
Indeed we have had a group discussion on sickle cell anaemia. Please read it in the link below and hopefully I will put up an article soon as well.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/askthepaed/permalink/1940362459582529/
Hello ma. Thanks for this publication. Please ma, my baby girl didn’t cry immediately she was born but when I later saw her, what I noticed is that she shows signs of crying but the cry won’t be heard till after some seconds even tears will be coming out o but one won’t hear the cry immediately. Just to conclude that she is not crying well. She is over 6weeks old now. Can this be tongue tie. I pity her when I see her stressing herself with force and cry is not heard. What can I do ma?
No! Not crying at birthis called PERINATAL ASPHYXIA and it is serious problem and not because of tongue tie. It means oxygen and or blood did not get to the child’s brain on time at birth! If sh is still not crying now; see a Paediatrician for proper evaluation
Good day doctor…my son is going to b e 3 by may….and he only says dada ,bye ….we have been to ubth …done brain scan…after every we have been giving epilim on doctors prescription….he can hear….am worried
You should see a Developmental Paediatrician and/or speech therapist. Your child needs to be assessed immediately
Good morning ma, you are really doing a good job, pls ma I notice that anytime my one year and 8 months old son is talking he uses is tongue to talk, should I be worry ma? Tanx
Thank you Mrs Olamide. I am not sure I understand what you meant by using his tongue to talk….of course we all use our mouth and tongue to talk! If you are worried about his speech, then you should see a speech therapist or Paediatrician.
Thanks for your response ma, you know normally when we are talking our tongue will be at the back of the teeth but my baby’s tongue will be in between both upper and lower teeth, tanx ma
Guess you should see a Paediatrician then for further evaluation and management.
Good evening Dr. Gbemisola. I just discovered my child has tongue and lip ties. what hospital in Lagos can we find you so we can come from an appointment this Saturday.
For urgent questions, always ASK ON OUR ASK THE PAEDIATRICIANS FACEBOOK GROUP.
Please ma, a child who has been on speech therapy since 2 and now she is 5 and no significant improvement, what’s the next advice. Thanks
Hi J. The child needs to see a Paediatrician – a Developmental Paediatrician for further evaluation and management.
My son is a year 5months he can only say fine n baba am so worried
That is normal. Babies have 1 – 3 words in the first 1 year and begin to combine at age 2 years. If worried after 2 years, see a Speech and language therapist for further evaluation
Good evening Dr. Please I’m concerned about my 5month baby. Who couldn’t raise her tongue well and finds it difficult to cry .We’ve been to clinic and had her tongue tie removed more than once.It seems to reattach.
Plz is there any good hospital in Southeast that handle such case well? Thanks.
PLease STOP…your baby does not have any tongue tie..I hope you have not created another problem that was not there before!
My baby once had a tongue tie, but was later cut but 3months after he started saying only mama, dada. Titi for(biscuits). Is that a progress?
You did not state the age of your baby so I can’t comment. Kindly note speech delay is not due to tongue tie. So kindly see a speech therapist or Paediatrician if your child has speech delay. Never assume tongue tie and do not go for unnecessary cutting of tongue tie.
Goodmorning Ma’am, Pls I have a brother who can’t speak well is bout 34yrs can he be operated.
The cause of the speech delay in a 34 year old is not tongue tie. Please read the article first so you have better understanding.
My baby of 1years has tongue tie and lip tie. When he was 6months, it was snipped by a health worker during immunization but it wasn’t done properly. You can see the thick band under the tongue when the tongue is lifted.
Get a Paediatrician to have a look first to be sure if you need to worry or not.
Thanks for this article. I am so happy that there is a website of pediatricians dedicated to solving issues that concerns Nigerian mothers. Our country is filled with people that misinform mothers especially first time parents.
This is so educative. Thank you.
You are welcome Opeyemi.
You can join our Facebook group and download our mobile app too.
Follow us on all social media platform @askthepaediatricians
Good morning ma’am. My son is 2 years September and up till now he has not said a word. We took him to BMH in portharcourt but the ENT doctor told us to watch him for another six months, before we do a test called auditory test. Pls do you know a specialist in Portharcourt we can visit? Am really worried
You can book a Developmental assessment on our ATP clinics with our Developmental Paediatrician by clicking Book Consultation
You can also try the Univ of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital if they have Paediatricians who does developmental assessment.
A child having speech delay should be seen by a Paediatrician not ENT doctor.
Wow! I’m blessed by your contributions on this issue. You are replying to everyone with mildly.. God bless you ma
Thank you for reading. You can learn more by joining our Facebook group Ask The Paediatricians
Thanks for ds am more informed now, but wat if that normal frenulum has been cut off already n it has no side effect on the child, is there still a possibility of the child developing any issues later in future
It can give the child unnecessary pain and if it heals with fibrosis (scar tissue) may actually affect the child’s tongue movement but luckily these are not very common side effects.
Thank you for this Dr and all other posts you have been putting up on Facebook,I am in the two groups. My daughter was 3 in January but doesn’t communicate/talk if she needs water she comes to you and give you her water bottle. But once in a while she repeats words we say in the house and can recite a-z/1-20 including nursery rhymes though the words don’t come out clear. Though when you talk to her she understands clearly (sometimes she ignores you) Please refer us to someone we can see in Abuja because I am getting worried. Her sister started talking at age one.
Kindly book an appointment with us for Developmental evaluation on ATP clinic first and we can then refer you to appropriate therapist. She definitely need to see a Developmental Paediatrician. Book Consultation or send Whatsapp to +2349056916818
Thanks alot Dr, really appreciate
Thank you