Fredericksburg Parent

10 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • August 2022 When she had her first child, Angela Richwine struggled with difficult nursing, mastitis, colic, and her infant's inability to eat or sleep normally. Over the course of her 28-year career as a registered dental hygienist, Richwine was introduced to the growing field of orofacial myofunctional therapy, or OMT. OMT is a systematic, multidisciplinary approach to strengthening the mus- cles of the tongue and helping them to perform the functions many of us never think about, but which form the foundation of a healthy body. Goals include things like nasal breathing, a resting posture where the tongue is suctioned to the top of the mouth, lip seal and correct swallowing. Richwine was astonished to learn that the struggles of her firstborn all those years ago could be tied to an orofacial myofunctional disorder. The International Association of Orofacial Myology (IAOM) estimates that such disorders affect 38 percent of the general population, and 81 percent of children who exhibit speech or articulation problems. After taking specialized classes toward certification with IAOM, Richwine learned that her firstborn's eating and sleeping problems in infanthood— and later sleep apnea, depression, behavior concerns, spinal problems and other symptoms—are linked to a tongue tie. A tongue tie is a condition when the tongue is literally tethered to the floor of the mouth by the fre- num, or the thin piece of soft tissue that connects the tongue to the bot- tom of the mouth. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has published research estimating that tongue tie affects nearly 5 percent of newborns. But knowledge of the condition was limited when Richwine's child was born. The lactation consultant she worked with told her that her son would grow out of it. Richwine's memory of how frustrated and helpless she felt in her first months of motherhood is part of what motivated her to establish Central Virginia OMT to bring orofacial myofunctional thera- py to the Fredericksburg region. "I never want another mom to experience what I went through," she says. "I want people to have this information." Could orofacial myofunctional therapy help you with problems your child struggles with? The Tongue is "Your Face's Braces" WRITTEN BY EMILY FREEHLING [Orofacial myofunctional] disorders affect 38 percent of the general popu- lation, and 81 percent of children who exhibit speech or articulation problems. Sponsored Material

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