Purpose: The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the clinical profile of Bell’s palsy in childhood and to compare the efficacy of combined acyclovir-prednisolone therapy with that of prednisolone therapy alone.

Methods: Eighty-six patients diagnosed with peripheral facial paralysis were enrolled in the study. All patients were assessed in terms of facial nerve dysfunction and recovery time using the House – Brackman Facial Nerve Grading Scale at initial presentation and at 15th day, and first, third, and sixth months (9). Grade 3 and above was assessed as severe, while lower grades were regarded as mild. Patients with severe facial nerve effects persisting at three months underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and temporal bone MRI.

Results: Six subjects were excluded for the secondary peripheric facial paralysis. Forty-nine of the 80 patients diagnosed with Bell’s palsy were girls, and 31 (38.7%) were boys, and their ages ranged between 2 and 17 years. Patients’ mean age was 9.5 (±2.4) years. Mean time to presentation to a health institution was 3.5 (±1.7) days. Forty-six (57.6%) patients received prednisolone therapy only, while thirty-four (42.4%) patients were started on a combination of oral acyclovir and prednisolone therapy, 29 of whom were in the severe category. Analysis of HB scores at one month revealed that the addition of acyclovir to treatment had no effect on the recovery period.

Conclusions: Bell’s palsy frequently resolves entirely in childhood, and an acyclovir plus prednisolone combination is not superior to prednisolone alone in treatment.