Moebius syndrome is a rare disorder in which a person is born with weakness or paralysis in some cranial nerves, especially in pairs VI and VII, which causes him to have difficulty, or inability, to properly move the muscles of the face and eyes, which makes it difficult to perform facial expressions.
This type of disorder does not have a specific cause and appears to arise from a mutation during pregnancy, which causes the child to be born with these difficulties. Furthermore, it is not a progressive disease, which means that it does not get worse over time. Thus, it is common for children to learn to deal with their disabilities from an early age, and can lead a completely normal life.
Although there is no cure for this disorder, its signs and complications can be treated with a multidisciplinary team to help the child adapt to obstacles, until he develops his independence.
Main signs and characteristics
The signs and characteristics of Moebius syndrome can vary from child to child, depending on which cranial nerves are affected. However, in many cases, it is common for:
- Difficulty smiling, frowning or raising eyebrows; Abnormal eye movements; Difficulty swallowing, chewing, suckling or making sounds; Inability to reproduce facial expressions; Malformations of the mouth, such as cleft lip or cleft palate.
In addition, children born with this syndrome may still have some typical facial features such as having a smaller than normal chin, small mouth, short tongue and misaligned teeth.
In some cases, in addition to the face, Moebius syndrome can also affect the muscles of the chest or arms.
How to confirm the diagnosis
There are no tests or exams capable of confirming Moebius syndrome, however, the pediatrician can arrive at this diagnosis through the characteristics and signs presented by the child.
Still, other tests can be done, but only to detect other diseases that may have similar characteristics, such as facial paralysis.
How the treatment is done
The treatment for Moebius syndrome must always be adapted to the specific characteristics and changes of each child, therefore, it is common to need to work with a multidisciplinary team that includes professionals such as neuropediatricians, speech therapists, surgeons, psychologists, occupational therapists and even nutritionists., to be able to meet all the child's needs.
For example, if there is a great difficulty in moving the muscles of the face, it may be recommended to have surgery to make a nerve graft from another part of the body, requiring a surgeon. To help the child overcome his disabilities, the occupational therapist is very important.
