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Melanie Duval, MD; Sam J. Daniel, MD, MSc, FRCSC

Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2009;135(7):634-636.

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.

Author Affiliations: Department of Otolaryngology (Dr Duval) and Auditory Sciences Laboratory (Dr Daniel), McGill University, and Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Montreal Children's Hospital (Dr Daniel), Montreal, Québec, Canada.

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