Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2007 Dec;137(6):858-61.
doi: 10.1016/j.otohns.2007.09.009.

Bell's palsy and pregnancy

Jeffrey T Vrabec  1 , Brandon Isaacson, James W Van Hook
Affiliations
Review

Bell's palsy and pregnancy

Jeffrey T Vrabec et al. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2007 Dec.

Abstract

Objective: To describe the epidemiology, pathophysiology, presentation, treatment, and prognosis of Bell's palsy (BP) in pregnancy.

Results: The incidence of BP in pregnant women is not significantly greater than expected compared to all women of childbearing age. There is a high incidence of cases in the third trimester and corresponding low incidence during early pregnancy.

Conclusion: There is no conclusive evidence that the etiology of BP in pregnancy is different than in nonpregnant patients. Altered susceptibility to herpes simplex viral reactivation during pregnancy is the most likely explanation for concentration of cases in the third trimester. Outcome may be poorer in pregnant patients, though historically, treatment is often withheld from these patients.

Significance: Management of BP in pregnancy can mirror that of nonpregnant individuals with the exception of first-trimester cases.

PubMed Disclaimer

Substances