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Facial nerve palsy in neonates secondary to forceps use
1Department of Otolaryngology, Montreal Children's Hospital, 2300 Tupper St, Montreal, H3H 1P3, QC Canada.
Objective:
To characterize the presentation, treatment, and outcome of neonates presenting with facial nerve palsy resulting from forceps use.
Design:
Retrospective medical chart review.
Setting:
Two tertiary care pediatric hospitals.
Patients:
Neonates with facial nerve palsy caused by forceps use born during the period of April 1, 1989, to April 1, 2005.
Main Outcome Measure:
Resolution of facial nerve palsy.
Results:
Twenty-eight cases of facial nerve palsy caused by forceps use were identified. The palsy was classified as mild to moderate according to the House-Brackman scale. Except in 1 neonate, no treatment was initiated in any of the patients. All 21 neonates with adequate long-term follow-up recovered fully after an average period of 24 days.
Conclusion:
Because facial nerve palsy caused by forceps use is generally mild and is associated with a favorable outcome, treatment with corticosteroids or surgery is generally not required.
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