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1 Year Old Having Tongue Hanging Out Of Mouth. What Should Be Done?
Question: my one year old grandson's tongue is constantly kind of hanging out his mouth and he isn't really saying anything. I am worried because his uncle, my son, was tongue tied and had to have his tongue clipped. How should I check?
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query.
Yes , there is a likelihood that your grandson could be having a tongue - tie .
The medical term for the condition known as tongue-tie is “ankyloglossia”. It results when the frenulum (the band of tissue that connects the bottom of the tongue to the floor of the mouth) is too short and tight, causing the movement of the tongue to be restricted.
Tongue-tie is congenital (present at birth) and hereditary (often more that one family member has the condition). It occurs relatively often: between 0.2% and 2% of babies are born with tight frenulums.
To tell if your grandson is tongue-tied, look at him and stick out your tongue. Even tiny babies will imitate you. If he is unable to extend his tongue fully, or if it has a heart shaped appearance on the tip, then you should have him evaluated by his doctor. You can also try putting your finger in his mouth (pad side up) until he starts sucking. See if his tongue extends over his gum line to cup the bottom of your finger. If not, you may want to have him checked.
In most cases, the frenulum recedes on its own during the first year, and causes no problems with feeding or speech development. A lot depends on the degree of the tongue-tie: if the points of attachment are on the very tip of the tongue and the top ridge of the bottom gum, feeding and speech are more likely to be affected than if the frenulum is attached further back.
So , I would advise its best to get him evaluated by his pediatrician to relieve any further doubts and get reassured.
It's not necessary that each child with a tongue tie will require a clipping procedure and the decision can only be taken by his doctor after a thorough assessment of your child .
Hope I have answered your query .
Kindly accept my answer if you have no further queries.
Wishing your grandson good health.
Regards
Thanks for posting your query.
Yes , there is a likelihood that your grandson could be having a tongue - tie .
The medical term for the condition known as tongue-tie is “ankyloglossia”. It results when the frenulum (the band of tissue that connects the bottom of the tongue to the floor of the mouth) is too short and tight, causing the movement of the tongue to be restricted.
Tongue-tie is congenital (present at birth) and hereditary (often more that one family member has the condition). It occurs relatively often: between 0.2% and 2% of babies are born with tight frenulums.
To tell if your grandson is tongue-tied, look at him and stick out your tongue. Even tiny babies will imitate you. If he is unable to extend his tongue fully, or if it has a heart shaped appearance on the tip, then you should have him evaluated by his doctor. You can also try putting your finger in his mouth (pad side up) until he starts sucking. See if his tongue extends over his gum line to cup the bottom of your finger. If not, you may want to have him checked.
In most cases, the frenulum recedes on its own during the first year, and causes no problems with feeding or speech development. A lot depends on the degree of the tongue-tie: if the points of attachment are on the very tip of the tongue and the top ridge of the bottom gum, feeding and speech are more likely to be affected than if the frenulum is attached further back.
So , I would advise its best to get him evaluated by his pediatrician to relieve any further doubts and get reassured.
It's not necessary that each child with a tongue tie will require a clipping procedure and the decision can only be taken by his doctor after a thorough assessment of your child .
Hope I have answered your query .
Kindly accept my answer if you have no further queries.
Wishing your grandson good health.
Regards
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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