Bell’s Palsy in Pregnancy

From Dr. Chapa’s OBGYN Clinical Pearls Dr. Chapa’s Clinical Pearls

Just today in clinic, we had a patient, who was well into her third trimester, come to her regular scheduled appointment with new onset left-sided facial droop. Yeah, that’s concerning! A complete history and physical was performed and the diagnosis was made of Bell’s palsy. This is not a rare event and it can be extremely stressful for the affected mother to be because everybody knows facial droop is not normal! And we have recent data regarding this. In July 2025 in the Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery, authors confirmed that Bell’s palsy can have real negative functional and psychosocial implications for those affected. So, in this episode, we are going to discuss Bell’s palsy in pregnancy. How do we differentiate this from the more serious differential, which is a stroke? What about treatment? Listen in for details.

1. Wesley, Shaun R. MD; Vates, G. Edward MD, PhD; Thornburg, Loralei L. MD. Neurologic Emergencies in Pregnancy. Obstetrics & Gynecology 144(1):p 25-39, July 2024. | DOI: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000005575

2. Vrabec JT, Isaacson B, Van Hook JW. Bell's Palsy and Pregnancy.

Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery : Official Journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. 2007;137(6):858-61. doi:10.1016/j.otohns.2007.09.009.

3. Evangelista V, Gooding MS, Pereira L.Bell's Palsy in Pregnancy.

Obstetrical & Gynecological Survey. 2019;74(11):674-678. doi:10.1097/OGX.0000000000000732

4. JPRAS (July 2025): https://www.jprasurg.com/article/S1748-6815(25)00328-6/fulltext

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