Assessment of tongue mobility in children

Specialty: Children's surgery
Age group: Children

Criteria for referral to public hospital service

• Infants with functional limitation of the lingual frenum causing feeding problems.

Information to be included in the referral

Information that must be provided

• Report from an assessment by a credentialed lactation consultant or doctor using an appropriate assessment tool for lingual frenulum function (e.g. Hazelbaker or TABBY assessment tool)
• Child’s age.

Provide if available

• Statement about the parent(s) or guardian's interest in having surgical treatment if that is a possible intervention
• If the child identifies as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
• If the child is neurodiverse, gender diverse or has a disability
• If the child has a preferred language other than English and if they rely on cultural or linguistic support (e.g. Aboriginal cultural support, an interpreter)
• If the child lives in out-of-home care (foster care, kinship care, permanent care or residential care).

Additional comments

The Minimum information for referrals to non-admitted specialist services lists the information that should be included in a referral request.

Newborns are usually assessed by a credentialed lactation consultant or doctor using an appropriate assessment tool for lingual frenulum function a few days after birth.

Referrals for older children with speech difficulties should be directed to a speech therapist.

Patients who develop complications from a frenotomy procedure should be directed to return to the surgeon, practice or health service where the procedure was performed. Some health services may accept referrals in limited circumstances for patients who are unable to return to the surgeon, practice or health service where the surgery was performed.

The referral should note if the request is for a second or subsequent opinion as requests for a second opinion will usually not be accepted.

Where appropriate and available the referral may be directed to an alternative specialist clinic or service.

Referral to a public hospital is not appropriate for

• Infants with functionally normal lingual frenum
• Tongue-tie that is asymptomatic or has resolved.