A short frenum of the tongue in a child: is it worth it to prune?

A short frenum of the tongue in a child is an anomaly that occurs quite often. Bridle, as you know, is called the membrane, which unites the tongue and the bottom of the mouth, restrains the movement of the first and does not allow him to hang out freely. With the pathology in question, mobility is limited very much, which causes some problems associated with the process of chewing and articulation. Usually it is solved in early childhood, so that further development of the baby and his life activity proceeded without any discomfort.

As a rule, the anomaly appears even during the intrauterine development of the baby. There are several factors that can cause a short frenum of the tongue:

• Chronic diseases;
• Environmentally unfavorable situation;
• Abdominal trauma;
• Intrauterine infections ;
• Genetic predisposition;
• Infectious diseases of the mother in the first and last terms;
• Later motherhood (after 40 years).

The short frenum of the tongue is diagnosed in the child very simply - it can be seen even visually. In the first months of life, it can cause problems with feeding. If you notice that the breast or the nipple of the crumb is difficult to take (a sluggish tongue does not allow it to normally grasp the mother's nipple), during meals, it constantly tilts the head, cries or characterically smacks - these may be the first signs that speak about the problem.

However, a short frenum of the tongue in a child may not cause inconvenience in feeding. However, problems will appear later, when the child begins to learn to talk. Usually at this moment it becomes difficult for him to pronounce some sounds, they turn out to be fuzzy.

In such cases, the help of a speech therapist and orthodontist is recommended. These doctors will be able to tell you how best to do in this particular case: to stretch the bridle, performing specialized exercises, or to perform a surgical correction.

To cut a bridle of a tongue to the child follows about one year. In the first months of life, the baby's mucosa is very thin, and therefore there will not be a scar. The procedure itself is very simple, and the children tolerate it well. Babies are operated without anesthesia, and after 10-15 minutes a follow-up inspection is carried out, after which you can go home right away. The best hemostatic means in this case will be breast milk, and therefore after the procedure it is better to immediately feed the crumbs.

Cutting the frenulum of the tongue in an older child is done with stitches, and for children from 5 years and older - under local anesthesia. Sutures dissolve within a week.

If you do not perform the correction, later this can cause serious problems with the diction. Sometimes a short frenum of the tongue in a child helps to form an incorrect bite. So the sooner you notice the problem and contact the specialists, the better for your child! After all, at an early age, the procedure for cutting it will be much less painful for the baby, and after only a couple of hours it will return to the habitual way of life, and after a couple of days the slightest unpleasant sensations will disappear.