Question
The child is now two and a half years old and has been ill for over a year. The facial neuritis has not healed, resulting in sequelae that seem to be getting worse.
Answer
Generally, a child’s facial palsy is an inflammation of the facial nerve triggered by upper respiratory infections or other causes. Hormonal treatment is usually administered within one week of onset, followed by infrared therapy and other nerve rehabilitation treatments, which are expected to improve over time. Although some may not return to complete normalcy, the condition should not worsen. If your child’s condition has been worsening for over a year, it may be necessary to: 1. Take your child to an otolaryngology and neurosurgery clinic for examination to check for craniopharyngeal diseases that may continuously affect the facial nerve along with issues related to the auditory nerve; 2. Have a pediatric neurology specialist examine the child with cranial magnetic resonance imaging to see if there are demyelinating diseases affecting the facial nerve or its functional changes.