What is Bell’s palsy? The neurological disorder Tiffany Chen was diagnosed with after giving birth

Robert De Niro’s girlfriend Tiffany Chen told Gayle King in an interview on CBS Mornings that she was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy after giving birth to their daughter Gia Virginia.

Bell’s palsy is a neurological disorder which temporarily paralyses one side of the face and causes it to appear droopy and lopsided.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the condition “causes sudden weakness in the muscles on one side of the face. In most cases, the weakness is temporary and significantly improves over weeks.” However, it’s not uncommon to experience paralysis on both sides of the face as Chen did.

Also known as “acute peripheral facial palsy,” the disorder is an inflammation of the nerve which controls the facial muscles and could potentially be the result of a prior viral infection. While there is no confirmed cause of the neurological condition, The Facial Paralysis Institute has linked many cases to women post-pregnancy.

The typical time frame for women to develop symptoms after giving birth is seven to 10 days (about one and a half weeks), according to the institute. Symptoms are likely to worsen within 48 hours (about two days) of when they initially appear and begin to ease up in the following weeks. A full recovery typically won’t take place until six months after.

The 45-year-old actress noticed her speech was slurred and she was unable to eat in the week after delivery.

“Women who experience Bell’s palsy symptoms after childbirth should pursue treatment immediately. Bell’s palsy that goes undiagnosed or untreated can lead to permanent facial paralysis,” the institute asserted.

If the neurological disorder develops during pregnancy, the chance of complete recovery is lower. Per The Facial Paralysis Institute report: “The prognosis for complete recovery isn’t as great as the general population, 52 per cent vs 80 per cent, respectively. It should be noted that the poorer outcomes reported are likely related to the past reluctance of physicians to prescribe steroids and antivirals in treatment.”

After eight months of experiencing symptoms, the individual is encouraged to seek long-term treatment, but in general, pregnant women are encouraged to be treated with steroids as any other person experiencing the disorder would. “Botox, neuromuscular retraining, and selective neurolysis” are all “novel treatments” for the permanent condition, according to the institute.

“Botox injections can provide safe, reliable, and painless treatment of permanent Bell’s palsy post-pregnancy. When administered to the normal side of the face, the nonsurgical injections relax the overactive muscles, restoring facial symmetry and improving facial appearance,” the institute reported.

Neuromuscular retraining is often administered after the individual has also received Botox injections.

As for selective neurolysis, “the surgery provides reanimation of the smile that is lost with persistent Bell’s palsy. The procedure involves intricate mapping of the facial nerves to weaken those nerves counterproductive to the smile mechanism.”