Parents should not be overly nervous if their baby is found to have a short tongue after birth. As the child grows and develops, the tongue may become longer, and if the tongue is still short when the child reaches one to two years of age, surgical treatment is recommended.
Many children have short tongues after birth. In most cases, the tongue tie will gradually become longer as the child’s body develops, and the tongue will return to its normal size.
However, there are some children who still have a short tongue even when they are one to two years old, and their speech is not clear. This requires prompt medical attention and, if necessary, surgical intervention, which consists of making a horizontal incision in the lower part of the tongue and then suturing it longitudinally to lengthen the tongue. Surgery is very safe and low risk, so parents do not need to worry too much.