Idiopathic facial nerve palsy in children and the effect of treatment with steroids.

During a 10-year period 228 children were seen with Bell's Palsy. In half of them the palsy was incomplete. Overall the recovery rate was 96%. There was a strong female preponderance but no difference in incidence between right of left sides. Twenty-eight reported a previous episode of facial palsy. When separated into categories based on clinical assessment and evidence of nerve fibre degeneration it was evident that all children without degeneration recovered. Those with incomplete palsies recovered in about half the time taken by those with complete palsies. Only two thirds of those children in whom degeneration was evident recovered. One hundred children were treated with a course of high dose steroid. This did not influence recovery either by improving recovery rate or by decreasing the time period to recovery.