Ankyloglossia, Frenotomy and Speech
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An investigation into parental perception of speech improvement in children between 3 - 18 years of age who have been treated for ankyloglossia with lingual frenotomy in Brighton University Hospital Trust and East Sussex Healthcare Trust in the last 5 years.
IRAS ID
180332
Contact name
Lucy O'Hare
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Kent
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 2 months, 1 days
Research summary
Ankyloglossia, or tongue tie, is the tethering of the tongue to the floor of the mouth by a short or tight piece of connective tissue known as the lingual frenum. Frenotomy is the process of surgically releasing the tongue tie by cutting the lingual frenum.
It is widely accepted that tongue tie can cause difficulty with feeding in infants, and frenotomy is a recognised treatment for this. However, there is conflicting opinion on whether tongue tie can have a negative impact on speech in children and whether frenotomy can improve this. There is currently a lack of research into this specific topic.
A subjective opinion has been formed, that parents of children with ankyloglossia believe that ankyloglossia can cause problems with speech and that treatment with frenotomy will improve their child’s speech. There is currently no evidence to support this belief.
The study includes an audit of patient records and questionnaires sent to parents of children with tongue tie to assess parental opinion of their child's speech. Questionnaires will be sent to parents of; children without tongue tie, to give a baseline or control group, children who had tongue tie released as an infant and children who had tongue tie released between 3-18 years.
Speech will be compared in these three groups to determine the impact of ankyloglossia and frenotomy on parental perception of speech.
The aim of this study is to determine if there is a perceived problem with speech in children with ankyloglossia that improves following frenotomy. Ultimately this could be used to improve provision of care to tongue tie patients
REC name
London - South East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/0936
Date of REC Opinion
22 May 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion