Let's talk about the role of tongue dysfunction in malocclusion
The tongue is directly connected to the oropharynx, because its posterior part forms the anterior wall of the oropharynx. When a child is fed naturally, there is no dysfunction; his tongue actively works, moving from the back forward and upward, thus opening the airways. The nasal passages grow and develop correctly only if the child breathes through his nose. With frequent colds and acute respiratory viral infections, the habit of breathing through the mouth arises, the mouth opens slightly, expanding the space for the tongue. And of course, the child’s tongue begins to explore this additional space in and outside the mouth with pleasure. Thus, dysfunction of the tongue, becoming entrenched in the child’s habits, leads to the proliferation of lymphoid tissue, and therefore to adenoiditis and tonsillitis, since it is the nose that provides air filtration, and when breathing through the mouth, allergens and viruses enter directly into the oropharynx. In this case, the blood is not fully saturated with oxygen, and the child becomes drowsy and inattentive. Correct your bite or dental defect with invisible aligners Find out what it is
Mouth breathing as a sign of tongue dysfunction
The habit of breathing through the mouth is formed, including during sleep, which leads not only to the persistent formation of malocclusion in adulthood and to increased tongue dysfunction. the child begins to stick out his tongue more often and use all its power (and the tongue is the strongest oral muscle) inappropriately, putting additional effort and pressure on the teeth. Please note that when a child often sticks out his tongue or sleeps with his mouth open, this is a very alarming symptom. This habit easily passes from a child into adulthood. We are not yet talking about snoring, sleep apnea and other negative consequences from this.
What happens to the child’s tongue later?
And then mouth breathing leads to inflammation of the adenoids. Children with adenoiditis are forced to protrude and push their tongue forward and down to provide air access through the mouth, and the constant interdental position of the tongue forms an open bite and creates problems that the orthodontist has to solve. And to a speech therapist with sound production and phonation. Most children develop an open bite as a result of the habit of inserting their tongue between the teeth.
Frequent sticking out of a child's tongue should be perceived not as a game or an innocent childhood habit, but as a risk of developing dental anomalies. And it is precisely in childhood that it is necessary to properly build effective interaction between the orthodontist and the ENT doctor, and, if necessary, with the speech therapist.
When to see a doctor
Of course, a protruding tongue in itself is not a symptom, so it is important to monitor the newborn and older baby. You can usually notice other reasons for concern, so you can still contact your doctor with your concerns:
- The child has difficulty falling asleep and sleeps rather restlessly, often wakes up and cries. This is a reason to contact a neurologist.
- If you notice that your baby has become nervous, often cries while awake, or is capricious, then a sticking out tongue may be a sign of distress. But first, try to exclude external stimuli that can cause tension and emotional outbursts in your baby. This can be music and even visiting strangers adults. If the symptoms do not go away, be sure to show the baby to the doctor.
- You should immediately consult a specialist if you notice a blue discoloration of the nasolabial triangle along with a protruding tongue. You may need to consult not only a pediatrician, but also a neurologist and cardiologist.
- When a newborn arches and throws his head back both during sleep and while awake, this indicates the presence of neurological problems, increased intracranial pressure, and cerebral vascular spasms. In this case, sticking out your tongue is an attempt to relieve tension, relieve discomfort, and sometimes just a reflexive movement in order to relax.
- Nausea or constipation can also cause your tongue to stick out. Perhaps a foreign body has entered the baby’s oral cavity or the intestines are not functioning well. Pay attention to whether the baby is straining too hard, trying to push something out of his mouth, or whether he has the urge to burp.
Pronunciation defects in children
Already at 4-5 years of age, when a child’s speech should become articulate and clear, many children develop speech defects - problems with the pronunciation of certain sounds, blurred, unclear speech. And not in every case, speech defects can be immediately corrected by a speech therapist - often it is first necessary to eliminate their causes, the basis of which is often dysfunction of the tongue, dysfunction of the soft tissues of the maxillofacial area, as well as associated malocclusion. For example, very often sucking the lip or tongue causes the incisors to deviate inward or outward, which leads to an open bite and makes it difficult for the speech therapist to make hissing sounds.
What is tongue prolapse
The greatest concern among parents is when the baby's tongue literally falls out of the mouth. This does not happen consciously when the baby moves it back and forth, but on its own. This is already a symptom of a rather serious problem - the cause is thyroid disease or atrophy of the facial muscles.
- Swelling of the tongue can demonstrate obvious disturbances in the functioning of the thyroid gland and the entire endocrine system. As a rule, in this case the baby quickly gains weight and becomes heavy in a matter of months. You can also notice that his voice is too low for his age. The result of violations can be developmental delays, so it is important to consult a doctor in a timely manner and undergo a full examination.
- If there is atrophy of the facial muscles, the newborn should be immediately shown to a neurologist. This is a rather serious symptom that may indicate the development of irreversible processes, so it is important to seek help in a timely manner and begin treatment.
Despite the fact that the reasons for tongue protruding can be quite serious and even dangerous, you should not panic: in most cases it is just a game and getting to know your body, because the situations described, when such a phenomenon is a symptom, can still be called an exception, and not a rule. And knowledge of such signs only helps parents not to lose composure and be attentive with their baby. And an extra visit to the pediatrician to make sure the baby is healthy will only add to your confidence that you are right and will reassure you.
Star Smile plates to help a child’s healthy bite
The standard Star Smile plate is more often used as a preventative when there are no changes in the bite and tongue position yet, but factors predisposing to this have already appeared. The child's need to suck often continues until school age and is sometimes unwisely encouraged by parents who want “a little peace.” Research has shown that more than 20% of children starting primary school still suck their thumb. But the older the child, the more firmly his bad habits are ingrained, and the more difficult it is for him to give up sucking his finger, tongue, or foreign objects. The authority of the dentist or orthodontist will help convince the child that the habit of sticking out the tongue and keeping a finger in the mouth can lead to serious problems. And only in this case will the treatment be successful if the doctor’s authority works. Treatment even in adulthood can always be successful, but it will simply take more time and money.
There are several reasons why babies may have the habit of sticking out their tongue, ranging from innate reflexes to health problems.
The child sticks out his tongue. This is fine?
Babies typically explore the world using their mouths. Therefore, sticking out the tongue is the norm rather than the exception, and the main reason that encourages a child to do this is an innate reflex. In this case, we are talking about the “tongue push reflex,” which helps the baby grasp the nipple.
Reflexive tongue protruding is a common occurrence and is observed in every healthy child, and the baby outgrows this habit by 5-7 months.
Reasons why a child sticks out his tongue
Below are other common reasons, besides reflexes, why a baby might stick out their tongue.
1. Imitating adults
Many adults often stick out their tongues as a game. Usually the answer is loud laughter! According to a number of studies, infants can copy the behavior of adults by imitating them.
2. Means of expressing needs
The baby may stick out its tongue to signal to mom, “I’m hungry.” True, it happens the other way around: the baby behaves in exactly the same way to communicate: “I’m full. You can stop feeding me.”
3. Manifestation of a gag or sucking reflex
Examples of infant reflexes that can cause a baby to stick out his tongue are sucking and gagging.
The sucking reflex occurs when the area around the mouth is stroked. This movement causes the baby to move his lips and tongue in anticipation of sucking.
The gag reflex occurs when the back of the mouth or throat feels a hard object. By sticking out his tongue, the baby seems to be trying to remove a possible foreign body.
4. Unpreparedness for solid foods
Babies tend to stick out their tongues when spoon-fed semi-solid foods. If a child does this, it means that he still has a gag reflex and is not ready for semi-solids and solids.
Children stop doing this as soon as the tongue can press on the upper part of the palate and swallow food.
5. Mouth breathing
The child may stick his tongue out when breathing through his mouth. The reasons for this can be very different: cough, cold, sinus blockage, allergies, inflammation of the tonsils or adenoids.
6. Discomfort due to gas
Some children may stick out their tongue during gas passage due to discomfort and pain.
7. Macroglossia
Macroglossia is an abnormal enlargement of the tongue such that it is very difficult to hold it in the mouth. Some children may develop this condition due to conditions such as Down syndrome, hypothyroidism, or Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.
Sometimes a large tongue can be inherited from parents or be the result of a tumor or injury.
8. Micrognathia
Some babies are born with a small chin and jaw, making it difficult to hold their tongue in such a mouth. This condition is known as micrognathia and for many people it goes away on its own as the mouth grows and muscles develop by 5-7 months of age.
Other causes of micrognathia are cleft palate and underlying diseases such as Marfan disease, trisomy 13, trisomy 18, Pierre Robin syndrome, etc. In this case, the tongue size is normal, but the chin is small.
9. Hypotension
Hypotonia is low muscle tone that can affect several muscles in the body, including the tongue. In such cases, the child's tongue protrudes from the mouth. This can happen due to various diseases such as Down syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Rett syndrome, etc.
10. Abnormal tissue growth in the mouth
Tissues that grow abnormally in the mouth or on the tongue can fill the space so much that the tongue becomes cramped and the child is forced to stick it out.
The reasons why this happens: a tumor or infection of the salivary gland or a thyroid duct cyst.
11. Orofacial-functional disorder
Tongue thrusting is the most common type of orofacial functional disorder (OMD), a group of facial and oral disorders. This often occurs due to abnormal resting position of the tongue.
The disorder can develop due to various reasons, such as congenital problems, family history, and even prolonged thumb sucking.
FAQ
1. Is a baby's tongue sticking out a sign of teething?
When your baby is teething, he may feel irritation in his mouth and instinctively begin to push out his tongue. Look for other accompanying symptoms of baby teeth, such as swollen or red gums, excessive drooling, and irritability.
2. Do children with Down syndrome stick out their tongues?
Yes. Children with Down syndrome have very small jaws and low muscle tone. These factors provoke tongue protrusion. However, such behavior in itself should not be considered a diagnostic characteristic of Down syndrome.
3. Is tongue sticking out a sign of autism?
A protruding tongue is not an independent symptom of autism spectrum disorder. However, it can occur along with various other symptoms in children with autism.
Sticking out tongue after feeding
There are several reasons why a baby might stick out his tongue after feeding.
Satiety signal
After eating, the child may turn his head away from food or refuse to eat. Some children try to push food out of their mouth by sticking out their tongue.
Hunger alarm
There are times when a child is still hungry even if he has just eaten. This can happen during breastfeeding if the mother's milk supply is low, or if the baby has not received enough food.
Babies of different ages may show a range of signs that they are hungry.
Children under 6 months:
- open their mouth
- smack lips
- clench their fists
- crying
Children over 6 months:
- reaching for food
- get excited by the sight of food
- crying
- use hand movements to indicate hunger
Food Dislike Alarm
Some children stick out their tongues when they don't like a new food. This is normal for children who refuse new foods.
Parents should never force their child to eat. Instead, you need to continue to introduce a wide range of healthy foods. Many children have to be given food several times before they like it.
A baby older than 6 months sticks out his tongue - reasons
At around 6 months, babies develop some communication skills, meaning they can intentionally stick out their tongue. A child may stick out his tongue to imitate an older child or adult, to get a reaction from a parent, or to signal hunger.
Imitation
Most children begin to imitate adult behavior when they are about 8 months old. However, premature babies and children with developmental delays may imitate a little later.
Getting a reaction
Children crave attention and are constantly learning about relationships with the people they encounter. A child may stick out his tongue to test the response he is getting from a particular person. If an adult laughs in response to a child sticking out his tongue, the child will do it more often. However, some children may continue to stick their tongues out even if an adult does not approve because they are curious about adults' behavior.
Hunger
Some children learn that sticking out their tongue gives them food. They can do this even when they can signal hunger in other ways.
How to wean yourself from this habit?
Three month old baby
The answer to the question “why does the baby bite and suck his tongue” has been received. Now we’ll answer how to wean your baby from this habit.
First of all, you need to distract the child. If the baby is three months old or more, then you can give him a pacifier. It is recommended to buy rubber toys for children during the teething period. The same applies to tongue sucking - instead, give the child a pacifier or toy, wean him off the habit with the help of a distracting conversation, song, or poem.
After 3 months of age, do not swaddle your baby with your hands. During this period of development, children learn about the world around them and themselves - exploring and “tasting” their hands and fingers is natural. If you do not give your child this opportunity, it is quite possible that he will develop the harmful habit of chewing his tongue.
Associated symptoms
Many symptoms of various diseases can accompany tongue chewing. As mentioned above, these are endocrine disorders, infectious diseases, often teething or pathologies of the bite and development of the jaw bones.
In addition to all of the above, this habit can be accompanied by many inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity:
- glossitis - inflammation of the tongue,
- stomatitis - inflammation of the mucous membrane,
- gingivitis – inflammation of the gums.
These pathologies always cause discomfort in babies in the form of itching and pain, so they begin to drown it out by chewing their tongue. A vicious circle is created here - the child bites the tongue, thereby injuring it, which further aggravates the inflammatory process. That is why chewing the tongue itself contributes to the development of diseases.
