Factors Associated With Fast Recovery of Bell Palsy in Children

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the clinical characteristics and factors affecting the prognosis of children with Bell palsy. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 53 pediatric patients diagnosed with Bell palsy. After a mean follow-up period of 30 days, 30 patients (56%) were completely recovered, 21 patients (40%) were partially recovered, and 2 patients (4%) had not recovered. The patients in the complete recovery group were significantly younger than those in the partial and nonrecovery groups (8.8 ± 4.2 years vs 12.2 ± 3.0 years, P =.003). Patients <8 years old had a higher complete recovery rate than was found in patients >8 years old (80% vs 47%, P =.031). Sex, affected side, and early or late treatment did not influence the recovery rate. These results suggest that younger age may be a good prognostic factor affecting the fast recovery of children with Bell palsy.