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Congenitally short lingual frenulum that ties the tongue to the floor of the mouth, decreasing its mobility. Noted in 4% to 5% of newborns. |
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Clinically, tongue mobility is restricted and it appears notched or heart-shaped at the tip. |
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May interfere with breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, but this generally only occurs if the baby cannot protrude the tongue past the front teeth ridge. |
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Significant
A congenital defect characterized by limited mobility of the tongue due to shortness of its frenulum.
ankyloglossia may result in speech articulation difficulties, specifically with "s" and "t" sounds. |
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In general, no intervention is recommended. Treat with
Excision of a frenulum.
frenectomy if severe enough to interfere with breast or bottle-feeding. A severity scale, called the Hazelbaker Assessment Tool for Lingual Frenulum Function, was developed but it has not received universal acceptance because it is not well-validated. |
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Cleft lip, including cleft lip with palate, is the most common craniofacial anomaly at a rate of 1 to 2 cases per 1,000 births. |
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A cleft may be an isolated occurrence or arise in association with a syndrome and may result from teratogen exposure, insufficiency of an essential nutrient, or be genetic or syndromic. |
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Cleft lip and/or palate may cause feeding, swallowing, and respiratory difficulties in infancy, along with speech and cosmetic concerns
later on. |
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Surgical repair is typically approached in a step-wise fashion, with initial repair in the first 3 to 6 months of life. |
Intensely hard calcareous substance that forms a thin layer partly covering the teeth; the hardest substance of the animal body; consists of minute prisms arranged at right angles to the surface and bound together by a cement substance.
