One treatment your doctor may recommend is the attachment of a tiny platinum chain to the upper eyelid, which gently weighs the lid down and enables the child to blink and lubricate the eye with natural tears. Some examples of this technique involve moving the hypoglossal nerve in the tongue, facial grafting and cross-facial grafting.įacial paralysis can affect a child’s ability to blink, resulting in dryness and potential damage to the eye. Grafting can restore both movement and sensation, increasing muscle control. Nerve grafting involves moving nerves from different parts of the body to the face. This surgery may require a hospital stay of a few days and several months of recovery, but enables a more natural-looking smile response that involves the entire face. Gracilis transfer, which transfers fibers from a slender muscle located in the inside of the thigh. The T3 procedure takes about an hour and may be performed in an outpatient setting.ĭigastric tendon transfer, which relocates a tendon connected to a muscle located under the jaw.
This procedure allows the child to smile by clenching their jaw.
Temporalis tendon transfer (also known as T3), which relocates one end of the temporalis tendon connected to the jaw and moves it closer toward the mouth. Muscle transfers: The surgeon removes one or more tendons or muscles and relocates them to areas of the face where they can restore more natural movement. Specialized surgical procedures can address severe or persistent facial paralysis in children, including these procedures: A speech pathologist may be part of the child’s care team if the paralysis affects his or her ability to speak. X-rays, MRI or CT scans of the child’s headĭepending on the cause and severity of a child’s facial paralysis, non-surgical therapies may be sufficient to resolve the problem, including physical therapy and treatment with botulinum or steroid medication. The physician may recommend the following tests to point toward a diagnosis: The doctor may use a video camera to record the child’s range of movement. In assessing a child with facial paralysis, the doctor will take a detailed history to determine when symptoms appeared, the severity of the paralysis and whether one or both sides of the child’s face are involved. Noticeable drooping on one side of the face due to muscle weakness Tumors, including schwannomas or hemangiomas affecting the 7th cranial nerve Inborn conditions such as Moebius syndromeĬraniofacial abnormalities such as hemifacial microsomia Paralysis of a child’s facial muscles is a symptom, with several possible underlying causes, including:īell’s palsy, which can be the result of viral infection or unknown cause With paralysis, the lower eyelid can become droopy and sag away from the eye. What causes facial paralysis in children? Others will feel their face tighten, often in the cheek, around the mouth.
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