When should the umbilical cord be cut if it is too short?

The lingual umbilical cord, also known as the lingual frenulum, is a thin strip of tissue located between the tongue and the floor of the mouth. Its main function is to control the movement of the tongue. Generally speaking, the tongue tie will be fully developed when a child is two or three years old. If the tongue tie is too short, the child's pronunciation will be unclear. In this case, the child will need a minor operation to cut the tongue cord. So, when should the umbilical cord be cut if it is too short?

For babies with short tongue-tie, infants aged 6 to 7 months and children aged 6 to 7 years are two more suitable periods for this surgery. Because the tongue tie of babies aged six or seven months is thinner, only the surface near the frenulum is anesthetized during surgery, and the frenulum mucosa is cut horizontally with small scissors. After the surgery, the wound bleeds less, heals faster, and does not leave scars, with better results.

For children aged six or seven, the surgery needs to be performed under local anesthesia to cut the frenulum horizontally and then suture it vertically with several stitches to prevent the formation of a short frenulum and the recurrence of a short frenulum. At this time, the child's intellectual development is relatively complete, and he can cooperate with the doctor. The postoperative effect is also better, and even unclear pronunciation can be corrected quickly.

In short, if you want to cut your baby's tongue tie, either do it as early as possible when the baby is still a toddler, or simply wait until the child grows up and do it later. This way, the impact of this operation on the baby can be minimized or even eliminated.

Is it necessary to trim the tongue tie?

First of all, only a regular dental specialist can check whether the tongue tie is too short. You cannot judge it based solely on the child’s inaccurate pronunciation.

Some babies' tongues appear tense and stretched, but this is actually only a temporary physiological phenomenon. As your child gets older and their primary teeth come in, the tongue tie will loosen and the tongue will become more mobile. If it does not affect breastfeeding, parents can observe. For most babies, the condition will improve as they grow, and there is no need for surgery.

However, if the baby's tongue tie is too short and affects breastfeeding, or if it rubs against the lower front teeth and causes ulcers, it must be trimmed. If the tongue tie is not very short, it will slowly grow as the child's mandible and gums develop, so it can be trimmed or not. The doctor will ask the parents for their opinions and then recheck and make a decision when the child is 2 years old.