Question
A 2.5-year-old child has had facial paralysis for over a year and the post-stroke symptoms seem to be getting worse.
Answer
Generally, a child’s facial paralysis is caused by a facial neuritis triggered by an upper respiratory infection. If corticosteroid treatment is administered within one week of onset, along with infrared therapy and other neurological rehabilitation methods, the condition usually improves gradually. Although some cases may not be fully recovered, the condition should not continue to worsen. If the child’s condition has been worsening over the course of a year, it is recommended that you: 1. Take the child to an otolaryngology and neurosurgery department for examination to confirm if there are any ongoing issues affecting the facial nerve, such as craniopharyngioma, and problems involving the auditory nerve; 2. Visit a pediatric neurology specialist clinic for a consultation and undergo a cranial magnetic resonance imaging to check for possible spinal cord demyelinating diseases that may affect the facial nerve or its function.