Know the Impact of Tongue-tie on Babies and How to Overcome It
Tongue has a function that matters to swallow and talk. Then , what happens if a baby experiences a congenital abnormality on the tongue called tongue-tie?
A nkyloglossia or tongue-tie is a disorder of the lower membrane of the tongue that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth. This membrane is called the tongue frenulum or tongue strap. Tongue-tie is characterized by a shorter and thicker tongue frenulum, or attached to the tip of the tongue.
This congenital abnormality is rare and there may not be many parents who know it. The cause is unknown, but tongue-tie is more common in male babies than in baby girls.
Impact Tongue-tie in Infants
As said before, the tongue plays an important role in the process of eating, drinking, and talking. These three processes will be disrupted if the baby has tongue-tie. There are at least three problems that can occur as a result of tongue-tie in infants, namely:
1. Babies have difficulty sucking ASI
Initially, tongue-tie will cause interference when breastfeeding. Instead of sucking on milk when breastfeeding, the baby only chews the mother's nipples. This breastfeeding disorder will affect the amount of milk the baby consumes, so that it will interfere with growth and development.
2. Mother's nipples get hurt
Your nipples will also become sick or injured as a result of babies who cannot suckle properly. When the baby starts eating solid food (MPASI), tongue-tie risks making the baby choke. In addition, in older children, tongue-tie can make children have difficulty licking food.
3. Children have difficulty speaking
Speech disorders may only be felt in older children. Children will have difficulty when saying words that have letters r and other consonants, such as t, d, z, s, l, j, ch, th, and dg. When entering school age, tongue-tie children will have difficulty playing wind instruments.
4. Oral cavity tends not to clean
In addition to eating and speech disorders, tongue-tie will also cause disruption of the oral cavity, because the tongue is difficult to clean leftovers from the teeth. This condition makes tongue-tie sufferers at risk of developing cavities and gum inflammation.
Another thing that can also arise due to tongue-tie is the appearance of a gap between the two front lower teeth and gum damage in the area.
How to Overcome Tongue-tie in Infants and Children
There are three types of actions that can be done to overcome tongue tie, namely frenotomy, frenectomy, and frenuloplasty. Here are the three differences:
Frenotomy
The simplest action to overcome tongue-tie is frenotomy. This procedure is performed without anesthesia or anesthesia, by tearing a little tongue frenulum. This action process is fast, leaving only a small amount of discomfort, with little bleeding. After that, the baby can also suckle immediately.
Frenectomy
Frenectomy is done by cutting and lifting the entire frenulum. Frenulum cutting can be done with a scalpel or special tool, such as an electrocauter (burned) and a laser beam.
The act of frenectomy with electrocauter and laser light only requires local anesthesia, not like a frenectomy with a scalpel that requires general anesthesia or sedation. The recovery period of the frenectomy with electrocauter is also faster.
Frenuloplasty
This procedure of
The doctor will assess which actions are most appropriate for your baby. In addition to these three actions, the doctor may also be able to suggest waiting while observing the baby's development. Discuss with your pediatrician about the benefits and risks of the recommended action.
If your baby has difficulty feeding, try seeing a doctor. Maybe he has tongue-tie. Conditions should not be underestimated, because it can cause growth disorders, speech disorders, and disorders of dental and oral health.
Written by:
d rg . Arni Maharani
( Dentist )
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