NYT Letter to the Editor — 12/18/2023

By: Robyn Merkel-Walsh, MA, CCC-SLP

NYT Letter to the Editor — 12/18/2023Download PDF
Read Robyn Merkel Walsh's reply to an article in the New York Times titled "Inside the Booming Business of Cutting Babies' Tongues." Robyn goes into great detail describing the inaccuracies in this article decrying frenectomies and tongue tie release.

No matter how much information there is on a subject, there will always be misinformation. As scholars and professionals, it is our job to call out this misinformation and set the record straight. The December 18th article in the New York Times titled "Inside the Booming Business of Cutting Babies' Tongues" is filled with such misinformation. The attached letter is a thorough dismantling of the author's conclusions, citing lack of proper research or input from subject matter experts. The letter addresses each inaccuracy in detail with documentation, studies, and research.

"Frenectomy can be a life changing procedure when a team of professionals performs a proper task analysis of function, to include a highly trained licensed professional who has the licensed scope of practice to assess and treat oral motor, feeding, swallowing and/or speech sound disorders."