Effectiveness of tongue-tie division for speech disorder in children

• Published in: Pediatrics international Vol. 57; no. 2; pp. 222 - 226
• Main Authors: Ito, Yasuo, Shimizu, Toshimitsu, Nakamura, Tomomi, Takatama, Chie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Australia Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.04.2015
• Subjects: ankyloglossia; Ankyloglossia - complications; Ankyloglossia - surgery; articulation test; Child; Child, Preschool; Children & youth; Female; frenuloplasty; frenulotomy; Humans; Male; Pediatrics; Postoperative Period; Prospective Studies; Speech Articulation Tests; Speech disorders; Speech Disorders - etiology; Speech Disorders - surgery; Speech Sound Disorder - etiology; Speech Sound Disorder - surgery; Speech therapy; Tongue - surgery; tongue-tie; Treatment Outcome; articulation test; frenulotomy; ankyloglossia; tongue-tie; frenuloplasty
• ISSN: 1328-8067; 1442-200X
• DOI: 10.1111/ped.12474

Background The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of tongue‐tie division (frenuloplasty/ frenulotomy) for speech articulation disorder in children with ankyloglossia (tongue‐tie). Methods Articulation test was done in five children (3–8 years old) with speech problems who underwent tongue‐tie division. The test consisted of 50 pictures of common Japanese words with 2–3 syllables. The patients were interviewed by a speech therapist and asked to pronounce what the picture card showed. Misarticulations of substitution, omission, and distortion were assessed. The preoperative results were compared with postoperative examinations at 1 month, 3–4 months, and 1–2 years. Results Nineteen substitutions that were observed in four patients preoperatively decreased to 10 in three patients at 1 month, 7 in three patients at 3–4 months, and 1 in one patient at 1–2 years postoperatively. Five omissions that were observed in four patients preoperatively decreased to 3 in three patients at 1 month, 2 in two patients at 3–4 months, and 1 in one patient at 1–2 years postoperatively. Thirteen distortions that were observed in five patients preoperatively decreased to 8 in four patients at 3–4 months but increased to 11 in three patients at 1–2 years postoperatively. Conclusions Substitution and omission improved relatively early after tongue‐tie division and progressed to distortion, which is a less‐impaired form of articulation disorder. Thus, distortion required more time for improvement and remained a defective speaking habit in some patients.