Uvular and Infant Oral Mutilation - are medical and dental professionals equipped in dealing with a hiddened global child abuse and public health issue?

Abstract

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is well known among medical and dental professionals in most countries due to regular publicity and mandatory training, especially in high-income countries, in safeguarding young girls against FGM. Moreover, there are laws in most high-income countries to prosecute those convicted of practising FGM and those who helped in victim transport for FGM. Unfortunately, there is no such awareness, publicity, or protection by law for Uvular Mutilation (UM) and Infant Oral Mutilation (IOM). UM/IOM is a barbaric act involving the gouging out of healthy uvula and primary tooth buds of young children using unhygienic and crude instruments without sterilisation or anaesthesia by village healers. Young victims suffer from both local and systemic complications, including death from severe septicaemia. Complications for UM include persistent cough, diarrhoea, vomiting, loss of appetite, inability to swallow, choking on breast milk or food, weight loss, fever, difficulty in breathing, and speech. For IOM, severe complications include anaemia, meningitis, tetanus, and risks of transmission of blood-borne hepatitis B and HIV infections. Some young babies undergo UM as part of a naming ceremony, and over 80% of children from some East African communities undergoing IOM have been reported. Due to the ease of travel, global mobilisation has brought UM/IOM victims, or those at risk of UM/IOM, to high-income countries, whilst young children continue to be taken abroad for UM/IOM. We therefore advocate the urgency to raise the awareness of UM and IOM worldwide among all healthcare professionals in stopping this barbaric and harmful superstitious practice in order to safeguard the next generation of African children. It is paramount to educate our medical and dental colleagues in high-income countries about IOM. Any unexplained development of primary or permanent dentition in young African children should raise the suspicion of IOM. As part of child safeguarding policies, dental and medical healthcare professionals should intervene if they are aware of any perceived plan for UM/IOM to be carried out in the future.Copyright © 2025