In plain words
A brief resolved unexplained event, often shortened to BRUE, is the current name for an episode that used to be called an apparent life-threatening event. In these episodes, a baby under one year stops breathing for a short time, changes color, or goes limp, and then recovers. Nothing explains it at the time. Most babies who have one are healthy, and many never have another. The name was changed to describe the event without assuming a cause or a danger. The evaluation depends on the baby's age and history, and it may include a hospital visit with tests for infection or other causes. is rarely the explanation. Parents are taught to call emergency services for an episode like this.
The deeper version
The AAP clinical report on brief resolved unexplained events (Tieder and colleagues, Pediatrics, 2016) replaced the older term apparent life-threatening event. It defines a BRUE as an event in an infant under one year, lasting less than one minute, with absent, decreased, or irregular breathing, color change, marked change in tone, choking, or gagging, that has resolved and is not explained by another condition. The report stratifies infants by risk, using history, examination, and age to guide whether to observe, test, or admit. Gastroesophageal reflux is rarely the cause, and routine reflux treatment is not supported as a response. The chance of a serious underlying disorder such as seizure, arrhythmia, or infection is low but not zero. The evaluation strategy remains an active area of study, and clinical judgment guides admission.
Where it comes up
- Newborn sleep and safe sleepBaby Basics
- Reflux, spit-up, and feedingFeeding Your Baby
- Grandparents and in-lawsSupport, Home, and Village
- When to call the pediatrician (and when to go in)Baby Basics
- Newborn breathing, congestion, and the noseBaby Basics
What mothers here say about brief resolved unexplained event
No one has posted under this term yet.
Sources
- Tieder JS and colleagues, American Academy of Pediatrics — Brief Resolved Unexplained Events (Formerly Apparent Life-Threatening Events) and Evaluation of Lower-Risk Infants. Pediatrics, 2016