Congenital facial paralysisis one of the uncommon but very serious birth injuries . It occur 0.23-1.8% of new born children. Its treatment depends up on the etiology of paralysis and physical examination. This problem is very serious and can lead to several other problems for infant. Some of its effects include difficulty in eye closure and orbicularis oris. It also depresses labii inferioris which makes feeding difficult for the infant. This paralysis can affect inner body parts and cause abnormalities in inner ear and vocal cord.
Facial paralysisis very serious problem as it is associated with traumatic and development causes. It affects the further growth of body and effects brain and body. The main reason for facial paralysis is pressure on infants face during the birthing process. It narrows the vertical segment of facial canal and can also lead to trauma. It compresses the soft tissues and causes facial neurapraxia.
Facial paralysiscan lead to number of defects. It causes Mobius syndrome which affects cranial nerves and extraocular nerves. The damaged nerves can lead to several problems like speech loss, difficulty in eating etc. This also led to disorders known as oculoauriculovertebral disorders, which causes irregular growth of bones at facial canal. The major disorder for congenital paralysis is CHARGE syndrome, which is means
C – colobomata; which is an abnormality in eye. It effects eye sight and can also lead to vision loss
H – Heart disease; this includes blockage or arteries and problem in pumping of blood A – Atresia of choanae; It blocks the nasal passage and causes breathing problem for infants
R – Retarded growth; Infant’s mental and physical growth get affected.
G – Genital Hypoplasia; Disorders of genitals is called genital hypoplasia
E – Ear abnormalities.
Apart from these disorders it also causes weakness in face, jaw, eyelid and neck. Congenital facial paralysis can be cured with medical treatment. During to this abnormality child’s eyes do not produce any water and his eyes are filled with artificial tears after every hour. Even while sleeping some ointment must be used to moisturize the eyes. The procedure differs little from adults as infants are given steroids only after 5 week of observation period. In more than 90% cases Congenital Facial Paralysis get cured immediately. However, if it takes more time then there is need of surgery on infant. However, surgeries of infants are controversial issues. Some doctors are strictly against this because infant’s skin cannot withstand with the pain during surgery and can lead to serious problems. The recovery time is also uncertain and there is no guarantee that early surgery can prevent future problems. There for doctors advice this procedure to start after one year.
Congenital Facial Paralysis is serious issue and is better if cured at early stages. The scares on face can also affect child’s moral and can cause mental illness. This birth injury is natural however cannot be avoided, but it can be cured. Treatment on time can save your child’s life.
