A Brief Resolved Unexplained Event (BRUE) is an event of unexpected change in skin colour or tone in infants less than one year of age. Your child completely recovers from a BRUE.
Signs and symptoms
BRUE last less than 60 seconds and signs may include:
- skin colour changes including being pale or blue
- slow, abnormal or absent breathing
- muscle stiffening or floppiness
- loss of consciousness.
What causes BRUE
It can be a scary and stressful experience for parents and caregivers, but it is common for there to be no cause found after a health professional has assessed your child.
Diagnosis
A doctor should complete a thorough assessment of your child and discuss with you any possible serious underlying causes for the event. If their assessment determines there’s no serious causes, blood tests or imaging are not required.
Your child’s event is low risk if:
- they are over 2 months old
- they were not premature
- this was their first event
- they did not require CPR by a health professional
- the event lasted less than a minute.
Treatment
If your child’s event has been deemed to be low risk, they may be observed for up to 4 hours to monitor oxygen levels. There is no specific treatment or medicine for BRUE as there is no underlying cause.
Care at home
Please see your GP in 24 hours to ensure no new symptoms develop. No other specific care is otherwise required on discharge.
Most parents will feel anxious after a BRUE event. We advise carers of any child to learn CPR regardless of this event and it may help with ongoing anxiety. You can organise CPR training by contacting your nearest first aid course providers such as St Johns Ambulance.
When to seek help
See your doctor if your child:
- has trouble feeding, especially if having fewer wet nappies than usual
- experienced breathing troubles
- is very sleepy or lethargic
- seems irritable
- losses consciousness for a sustained period of time
- shows signs of a seizure
- develops fevers (temperature higher than 38 degrees, measured under the arm) in less than 3 months old.
In an emergency, always call Triple Zero (000) immediately. Otherwise, visit the emergency department of your nearest hospital. For less urgent medical advice, call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) 24/7 to talk to a registered nurse who can advise on the best course of action.
Developed by the Queensland Paediatric Emergency Care (QPEC), Queensland Children's Hospital. We acknowledge the input of consumers and carers.
Resource ID: FS404. Reviewed: July 2024.
Disclaimer: This information has been produced by healthcare professionals as a guideline only and is intended to support, not replace, discussion with your child’s doctor or healthcare professionals. Information is updated regularly, so please check you are referring to the most recent version. Seek medical advice, as appropriate, for concerns regarding your child’s health.