Macroglossia is a condition in which the tongue protrudes past the teeth and is disproportionately large to the other parts of the mouth. Sometimes children are born with macroglossia, while sometimes children develop it as they grow.
Macroglossia is a condition in which the tongue protrudes past the teeth and is disproportionately large to the other parts of the mouth. Sometimes children are born with macroglossia, while sometimes children develop it as they grow.
What causes macroglossia?
Macroglossia is linked to certain congenital (conditions that are present at birth) and inherited disorders, such as:
How does macroglossia affect a child?
Having a large tongue can interfere with feeding, speaking, breathing, and sleeping. Excessive drooling is often an issue. Macroglossia also affects the development and alignment of the jaw and teeth. Children with macroglossia may have protruding or misaligned teeth.
How is macroglossia treated?
In cases where the underlying condition is treatable, treatment for that condition should be the first course of action, as it may help to reduce tongue size as well.
Treatment for macroglossia also depends on the child’s symptoms and the severity of those symptoms. In milder cases, perhaps a child is not particularly bothered by their tongue size and surgery can be avoided. If speech is mildly impaired, for example, working with a speech pathologist would help without the need for surgery. In cases where quality of life is impacted—we would qualify this as difficulty eating, breathing, drinking, talking, and sleeping—a tongue reduction surgery (glossectomy) is the recommended treatment.
What should parents know about tongue reduction surgery?
Of course, surgery will make even the calmest of parents feel worried and anxious, but rest assured, tongue reduction surgery is not a risky procedure. In fact, it is fairly straightforward. At the Little Baby Face Foundation, we have some of the world’s most skilled surgeons, so you can feel confident that you are in the very best hands.
The tongue reduction surgery consists of removing a keyhole-shaped portion of the tongue, which serves to reduce the width and length of the tongue. The surgery is done under general anesthesia and lasts about an hour.
In terms of recovery, you can expect the first few days to be the hardest, with swelling that lasts several weeks. The dissolvable stitches used usually take up to 3 weeks to dissolve. Many parents ask if taste is affected, and we’re happy to say it is not, nor are the nerve endings in the tongue. There is little to no scarring.
If your child has an oversized tongue that interferes with his or her quality of life and you’d like to apply for a tongue reduction surgery at the Little Baby Face Foundation, please fill out our application form here. It can take 8-12 weeks to receive a response due the high volume of applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.
Macroglossia is linked to certain congenital (conditions that are present at birth) and inherited disorders, such as:
- Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome
- Congenital Hypothyroidism
- Down Syndrome
- Hemangioma
- Mucopolysaccharidosis
- Amyloidosis
- Acromegaly
- Pemphigus Vulgaris
- Diphtheria
- Sarcoidosis
How does macroglossia affect a child?
Having a large tongue can interfere with feeding, speaking, breathing, and sleeping. Excessive drooling is often an issue. Macroglossia also affects the development and alignment of the jaw and teeth. Children with macroglossia may have protruding or misaligned teeth.
How is macroglossia treated?
In cases where the underlying condition is treatable, treatment for that condition should be the first course of action, as it may help to reduce tongue size as well.
Treatment for macroglossia also depends on the child’s symptoms and the severity of those symptoms. In milder cases, perhaps a child is not particularly bothered by their tongue size and surgery can be avoided. If speech is mildly impaired, for example, working with a speech pathologist would help without the need for surgery. In cases where quality of life is impacted—we would qualify this as difficulty eating, breathing, drinking, talking, and sleeping—a tongue reduction surgery (glossectomy) is the recommended treatment.
What should parents know about tongue reduction surgery?
Of course, surgery will make even the calmest of parents feel worried and anxious, but rest assured, tongue reduction surgery is not a risky procedure. In fact, it is fairly straightforward. At the Little Baby Face Foundation, we have some of the world’s most skilled surgeons, so you can feel confident that you are in the very best hands.
The tongue reduction surgery consists of removing a keyhole-shaped portion of the tongue, which serves to reduce the width and length of the tongue. The surgery is done under general anesthesia and lasts about an hour.
In terms of recovery, you can expect the first few days to be the hardest, with swelling that lasts several weeks. The dissolvable stitches used usually take up to 3 weeks to dissolve. Many parents ask if taste is affected, and we’re happy to say it is not, nor are the nerve endings in the tongue. There is little to no scarring.
If your child has an oversized tongue that interferes with his or her quality of life and you’d like to apply for a tongue reduction surgery at the Little Baby Face Foundation, please fill out our application form here. It can take 8-12 weeks to receive a response due the high volume of applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.
What causes macroglossia?
Macroglossia is linked to certain congenital (conditions that are present at birth) and inherited disorders, such as:
How does macroglossia affect a child?
Having a large tongue can interfere with feeding, speaking, breathing, and sleeping. Excessive drooling is often an issue. Macroglossia also affects the development and alignment of the jaw and teeth. Children with macroglossia may have protruding or misaligned teeth.
How is macroglossia treated?
In cases where the underlying condition is treatable, treatment for that condition should be the first course of action, as it may help to reduce tongue size as well.
Treatment for macroglossia also depends on the child’s symptoms and the severity of those symptoms. In milder cases, perhaps a child is not particularly bothered by their tongue size and surgery can be avoided. If speech is mildly impaired, for example, working with a speech pathologist would help without the need for surgery. In cases where quality of life is impacted—we would qualify this as difficulty eating, breathing, drinking, talking, and sleeping—a tongue reduction surgery (glossectomy) is the recommended treatment.
What should parents know about tongue reduction surgery?
Of course, surgery will make even the calmest of parents feel worried and anxious, but rest assured, tongue reduction surgery is not a risky procedure. In fact, it is fairly straightforward. At the Little Baby Face Foundation, we have some of the world’s most skilled surgeons, so you can feel confident that you are in the very best hands.
The tongue reduction surgery consists of removing a keyhole-shaped portion of the tongue, which serves to reduce the width and length of the tongue. The surgery is done under general anesthesia and lasts about an hour.
In terms of recovery, you can expect the first few days to be the hardest, with swelling that lasts several weeks. The dissolvable stitches used usually take up to 3 weeks to dissolve. Many parents ask if taste is affected, and we’re happy to say it is not, nor are the nerve endings in the tongue. There is little to no scarring.
If your child has an oversized tongue that interferes with his or her quality of life and you’d like to apply for a tongue reduction surgery at the Little Baby Face Foundation, please fill out our application form here. It can take 8-12 weeks to receive a response due the high volume of applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.
Macroglossia is linked to certain congenital (conditions that are present at birth) and inherited disorders, such as:
- Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome
- Congenital Hypothyroidism
- Down Syndrome
- Hemangioma
- Mucopolysaccharidosis
- Amyloidosis
- Acromegaly
- Pemphigus Vulgaris
- Diphtheria
- Sarcoidosis
How does macroglossia affect a child?
Having a large tongue can interfere with feeding, speaking, breathing, and sleeping. Excessive drooling is often an issue. Macroglossia also affects the development and alignment of the jaw and teeth. Children with macroglossia may have protruding or misaligned teeth.
How is macroglossia treated?
In cases where the underlying condition is treatable, treatment for that condition should be the first course of action, as it may help to reduce tongue size as well.
Treatment for macroglossia also depends on the child’s symptoms and the severity of those symptoms. In milder cases, perhaps a child is not particularly bothered by their tongue size and surgery can be avoided. If speech is mildly impaired, for example, working with a speech pathologist would help without the need for surgery. In cases where quality of life is impacted—we would qualify this as difficulty eating, breathing, drinking, talking, and sleeping—a tongue reduction surgery (glossectomy) is the recommended treatment.
What should parents know about tongue reduction surgery?
Of course, surgery will make even the calmest of parents feel worried and anxious, but rest assured, tongue reduction surgery is not a risky procedure. In fact, it is fairly straightforward. At the Little Baby Face Foundation, we have some of the world’s most skilled surgeons, so you can feel confident that you are in the very best hands.
The tongue reduction surgery consists of removing a keyhole-shaped portion of the tongue, which serves to reduce the width and length of the tongue. The surgery is done under general anesthesia and lasts about an hour.
In terms of recovery, you can expect the first few days to be the hardest, with swelling that lasts several weeks. The dissolvable stitches used usually take up to 3 weeks to dissolve. Many parents ask if taste is affected, and we’re happy to say it is not, nor are the nerve endings in the tongue. There is little to no scarring.
If your child has an oversized tongue that interferes with his or her quality of life and you’d like to apply for a tongue reduction surgery at the Little Baby Face Foundation, please fill out our application form here. It can take 8-12 weeks to receive a response due the high volume of applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.
If your child was born with Macroglossia and you’re looking for help, please contact us using the form below.
If your child was born with Macroglossia and you’re looking for help, please contact us using the form below.