Facial nerve palsy during pregnancy.

The aim of this prospective study was to investigate whether pregnancy predisposes to facial nerve palsy and what the specific properties of facial nerve palsy are during this period. Eight cases of idiopathic facial nerve palsy occurring during the last trimester of pregnancy are presented. Out of 50 women with idiopathic facial nerve palsy, 15 were in childbearing age; eight presented a facial nerve palsy during pregnancy of which 6 during the last trimester of pregnancy. The electrodiagnostic tests indicated nerve degeneration in two of the eight cases; they were treated with corticosteroids. In the other six patients, no nerve degeneration was observed, and therefore, no treatment was given. These data suggest that pregnancy is probably associated with an increased predisposition to facial nerve palsy.