Peripheral facial palsy in pediatrics: Clinicalcharacteristics and recovery at one month of follow-up

Introduction. Peripheral facial paralysis (PFP) is an acute neuropathy of the VII cranial nerve, a frequent reason for pediatric consultation due to its functional, aesthetic, and emotional impact. Children generally have a good prognosis; however, a lack of recovery may require specialized follow-up. Objective. To describe clinical and epidemiological characteristics and evaluate complete clinical recovery at one month in pediatric patients with peripheral facial paralysis. Population and methods. Observational, prospective, cohort study conducted in the Moderate Risk Clinic of a general hospital in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area from April 2019 to March 2021. Patients aged 1 month to 14 years with a first episode of PFP were included. Severity was assessed using the House-Brackmann (HB) scale. Primary variable: complete recovery at one month. Secondary variables: clinical and epidemiological characteristics (age, sex, seasonality, laterality, previous symptoms), initial severity, and pharmacological treatment. Results. Seventy-four patients were included. Median age: 8.5 years (IQR 3-13), 48 females. At one month, 57 patients were evaluated, of whom 40 (70%) had complete recovery. Those with mild initial involvement (HB = 2) recovered completely. No difference in recovery was observed with corticosteroid treatment.Conclusion. The outcome was favorable for most patients. Less severe initial symptoms were associated with recovery within one month, regardless of the treatment received.