What is Brief Resolved Unexplained Event (BRUE)
Brief resolved unexplained event is an episode in which a child who is younger than one year old briefly stops breathing. The event usually lasts for less than one minute with no lasting effects.
Your child may:
- Stop breathing (apnea).
- Breathe differently than normal.
- Change color. The skin may look pale, blue, or gray.
- Seem limp or stiff.
- Not respond to you.
A BRUE does not mean your child has a serious medical condition.
Follow these instructions at home:
If your child has another episode
- If
your child is not breathing or his or her face is gray or blue, help your
child the way your child’s doctor showed you. If your child does not get
better, do both of these things:
- Call your local emergency services (911 in the U.S.) right away.
- Start CPR as told by your child’s doctor or CPR teacher.
- If your child is awake (conscious) and is choking, thump your child on the back (give back blows). Then, use quick pushes on the chest (chest thrusts). Do these steps as told by your child’s doctor or CPR teacher.
If your child is passed out (unconscious) and choking, look in your child’s mouth. If there is an object blocking your child’s throat, take it out. Then, start CPR as told by your child’s doctor or CPR teacher. Do not shake your child to wake him or her.
General instructions
- Make sure that you know how to do infant CPR.
- Make sure that everyone who cares for your child knows how to do infant CPR.
- Keep all follow-up visits as told by your doctor. This is important.
- Give over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your child’s doctor.
- Follow
instructions from your child’s doctor for:
- Feeding.
- Burping.
- Using a home monitor.
- Do notsmoke any tobacco products around your child, such as cigarettes and e-cigarettes. If you need help quitting, ask your doctor.
Contact a doctor if:
- Your child has another episode and gets better after you help him or her. Make sure to help your child as told by his or her doctor.
Get help right away if:
- Your child has another episode and does not get better after you help him or her as told by you child’s doctor.
- Your child’s skin is gray, blue, or pale.
- You have started CPR.
- Your child who is younger than 3 months has a temperature of 100°F (38°C) or higher.
Summary
- A brief resolved unexplained event (BRUE) is an episode in which a child who is younger than one year old briefly stops breathing. The event usually lasts for less than one minute with no lasting effects.
- If your child is not breathing or his or her face is gray or blue, help your child the way your child’s doctor showed you. If your child does not get better, call your local emergency services (911 in the U.S.) right away and start CPR.
