Demography and outcomes of frozen tongue: a scoping review of Scandinavian tundra tongue cases.

BACKGROUND

Children occasionally adhere their tongues to cold metal surfaces during winter ("tundra tongue"), but little is known about the epidemiology and outcomes of these cases.

OBJECTIVES

To explore the following questions: who experiences tundra tongue, under which circumstances does it occur, and what are the outcomes?

METHODS

We conducted a scoping review to identify case reports published in historical newspapers from Norway, Sweden and Denmark using national library databases. Epidemiological data were charted manually from newspaper items describing literal frozen tongues.

RESULTS

Among 17,009 unique search hits, 856 reports of 113 different cases were identified. Almost all cases (96 %) involved children, median age 5.25 years, and the majority were boys (63 %). Tongues were most often frozen to railings (40 %). Ambient temperature was reported in 18 cases with a median of -16.5 °C. Outcomes ranged from discomfort to potential amputation of tongue tissue, with 20 (18 %) cases involving a doctor or a hospital. Severe injuries were reported in several cases through three distinct mechanisms: (1) the direct effect of cold on tissue, (2) detachment injuries, and (3) the consequences of immobility.

CONCLUSION

Children, and especially boys, in wintertime, are vulnerable to tundra tongue. Most cases had no or mild consequences but severe injuries were also described in multiple cases. Hence, parents, health care professionals and policymakers should not underestimate the potential harm of tundra tongue.