General Information About Moebius Syndrome
Disease Details and Frequently Asked Questions
It is a congenital genetic disorder resulting from the complete or partial absence of the nerves that supply facial expressions and control sideways eye movements.
Because the 7th cranial nerve (facial nerve) fails to develop, no expression forms on the face whether the person is happy or sad. The patient cannot smile, purse their lips, and the face remains static when crying (mask-like face).
Because the 6th cranial nerve fails to develop, they cannot move their eyes to the right or left (sideways). When they want to look to the side, they must turn their head completely in that direction.
No. In the vast majority of Moebius syndrome patients, intelligence and cognitive development are completely normal. Due to the lack of facial expressions, they are merely misperceived by others as indifferent or flat.
It is clinically diagnosed when a newborn's face remains motionless while crying, displays sucking difficulties, and cannot close their eyelids completely.
It is impossible to restore missing nerves with medication. Through specialized plastic surgery operations termed 'Smile Surgery', muscle and vascular packets harvested from the patient's leg (gracilis) are transplanted to the face via microsurgery, giving the patient the ability to smile.
Our health library contents are prepared for informational purposes only and with scientific data available at the time of recording. For all your questions, concerns, diagnosis, or treatment regarding your health, please consult your doctor or a healthcare institution.
