Asymmetrical mouth when crying

[ThelastRolo20]

Hi all, I did post about this in another topic but putting here for more traffic.

I noticed a couple of weeks ago that my 6 week old daughter opens her mouth unevenly when she cries, and also when yawning (about 90% of the time). I've asked the GP for a referral for my private health insurance but doctor Google (I know) came up with some not reassuring information so looking to see if anyone has come across similar? No other issues or symptoms, it's very isolated!

Are you being serious? I really don't think the symmetry of your DD's mouth when she cries is any kind of issue! 😂

I wouldn't have thought it would be an issue, it's normal isn't it?
If it happened suddenly or associated with weakness etc it might be an issue but humans are just naturally wonky. That's why yourself always looks strange in photos, and other people look weird in the mirror.

What the?????

This isn't normal. Are you anxious generally?

I'm sorry you've had such bonkers replies from people who, in addition to clearly having absolutely no knowledge/experience/common human decency, evidently can't even be bothered to google before rushing to bless the internet with their ill-informed opinions.

I assume you are worried about ACF (asymmetrical crying facies) and associated disabilities?

I'm afraid I don't have any advice, but offering a handhold and a reminder that it is very likely to be something either completely harmless or that will resolve with time/minimal intervention.

@Flustration thank you. Yes, not an anxious person but did have a Google and ACF came up along with bells palsy etc and we've recently had chicken pox in the house. The doctor is referring us to a paediatrician (for those who think I'm just being anxious for no reason 😂) to check her over, was just wondering if there had been any similar experiences of where babies had typically outgrown it which is what I'm hoping!

Yes, my daughter had this. She was monitored for a while as they believed she may have had some nerve damage through birth. The weaknesses gradually sorted themselves out. It was all even by about 3 months

@mintich ah thank you, glad it was all resolved. Doesn't help when the doctor's first comment was "I haven't seen this before". Although the osteopath did say she's seen it a few times and in the majority of cases it resolves itself so I'm hoping we also fall into that category also🤞🏻

Perfect example of mumsnetters tripping over each other in their rush to ridicule a poster.

OP I hope you get some apologies on this thread and I hope everything turns out to be ok for your baby.

@Riddledwithit thank you, I appreciate that x

DD's face was asymmetric when she cried or yawned and it was nothing – at least I assume it was nothing, I didn't ever know it was something to worry about and she's now a very normal and healthy 7 year old! Still worth getting her checked over of course but just wanted to give you a bit of reassurance.

@peachgreen thank you! I'm sure she'll also grow out of it but hopefully I'll get some peace of mind after the referral in any case x

@Riddledwithit I didn't trip over anyone?! 🤣 This is absolute nonsense and I'm entitled to my opinion. GPs will always refer an anxious mum to a paediatrician to reassure them but honestly, measuring your child's mouth against a spirit level is, in my opinion, anxiety.
You cannot attack people for having a differing opinion than you, Riddled. That’s not how life works.

I hope you get some support from the paediatricians either way, OP

Thanks, for what it's worth asymmetrical crying face is a genuine condition that can have other consequences. This isn't something born out of anxiety

@AnxiouslyAwaitingSpring and unless you're medically trained jumping straight to "you must be anxious" could make a new mum feel awful.

Thankfully, I'm not a new mum and I'm not an anxious person so your initial comment hasn't impacted me. I hope you can see from other posters that this is in fact, something that can genuinely happen. But I'll get my spirit level out to be sure.... Excellent advice 😉

You think you've been attacked?

Do you have any idea of the issue that OP is concerned about? Or are you just waffling now because you've been caught out being nasty and ignorant?

I just wanted to post here in case any other parents in the future googled for cases like I did. My daughter saw a consultant and has an absent or weakened depressor angularis Oris muscle which has caused the asymmetry.

She'll compensate for it as she gets older and there's no need for treatment, I'm lucky that she is not in the group of children of whom this comes with heart defects. If it's still prominent when older she can have cosmetic surgery. Otherwise I have a very happy and healthy baby x