Objectives: The objective of this study was to compare the incidence of Bell's palsy between women during pregnancy or postpartum periods and non-pregnant/non-postpartum women (controls).
Methods: Using the national cohort from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, pregnant/postpartum participants (63,264) and control participants (126,528) were matched in a 1:2 ratio based on age, income, region of residence, and medical history. The incidence of Bell's palsy in both groups was measured from pregnancy to 1 year postpartum.
Results: Among the 63,264 pregnant/postpartum participants, 20 were diagnosed with or treated for Bell's palsy during pregnancy, and 38 during postpartum periods. The annual incidence of Bell's palsy per 100,000 women during pregnancy was 43.4 in the patient group and 80.2 in the control group (p < 0.05), and that during postpartum periods was 60.1 the patient group and 50.6 in the control group (p > 0.05).
Conclusion: The annual incidence of Bell's palsy was not increased in pregnant women relative to that in the control.