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Traumatic facial nerve palsy in newborns: is it always iatrogenic?

Khalil Al Tawil1, Noura Saleem, Hanan Kadri

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. mail: tawilkio@yahoo.com

American Journal of Perinatology
|April 14, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Traumatic facial palsy (TFP) in newborns is rare, occurring in 0.03% of births. While forceps delivery is a risk factor, most infants with TFP experience spontaneous recovery within two months.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Obstetrics

Background:

  • Traumatic facial palsy (TFP) in newborns is a condition that can arise during childbirth.
  • Understanding its incidence, risk factors, and outcomes is crucial for clinical management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To update the incidence, identify risk factors, and describe the outcomes of TFP in neonates.
  • To analyze TFP cases at King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) over a 12-year period.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective study was conducted at KAMC from January 1994 to December 2005.
  • Infant records diagnosed with TFP were reviewed and compared with healthy controls.
  • A total of 83,067 deliveries were analyzed.

Main Results:

  • The incidence of TFP was found to be 0.03% (29 cases out of 83,067 births).
  • Significant risk factors identified were forceps delivery and maternal primiparity.
  • Most infants (93%) with TFP showed spontaneous recovery within 2 months, with only one case of permanent weakness.

Conclusions:

  • Forceps delivery remains a significant risk factor for TFP, but a notable proportion of cases occur without its use.
  • The majority of newborns with TFP achieve spontaneous and complete recovery, highlighting a generally favorable prognosis.

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