A BRAVE mum has shared a heartbreaking photo of her little girl so all parents know how to handle 'BRUE'.
The condition refers to a brief, resolved, unexplained event, the NHS states.
BRUE happens suddenly and can be frightening for parents and carers.
The majority of cases are down to immature reflexes, likely caused whilst feeding, guidance states.
Sharing her story with the Tiny Hearts Foundation Instagram page, mum Jane said all parents need to know what to do if their little one has BRUE.
The photo shows five-week-old Gianna hooked up to various wires and cables at the hospital.
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Her mum said that 'this was the night we almost lost her'.
She said that her and her husband had given their little girl her last bottle before bed.
"All of a sudden I heard screaming from the nursery. 'Jane she's not breathing'.
"My heart immediately sank. I ran down the hall and my husband was standing with Gianna face down giving back blows, trying to stimulate her to breathe.
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"She was unresponsive and limp like a rag doll," Jane said.
Jane then took her little girl in her arms and tried to give her back blows, but Gianna was unresponsive.
"Her lips and her face started turning blue. I immediately ran to grab my phone and dial 911 for emergency assistance," she said.
While on the phone to emergency services, Jane's husband started doing CPR.
"That was incredibly heart-shattering to watch," she said.
"I remember thinking in that moment that we had lost her. I’ll never forget the blue/grey color of her face. It is forever ingrained in my memory and is horrific to think back on."
What happens during a BRUE?
BRUE’s can be frightening, so it’s important to be aware of what might happen during one.
Guidance from Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals states that if your baby has BRUE they might:
- seem to stop breathing
- their skin colour might change to pale blue
- their muscles might relax or tighten
- they may seem to pass out.
"Your baby’s doctor or health care professional will examine your baby and decide that there is no known concerning cause for the event.
It will be diagnosed as a BRUE. The majority of BRUEs are thought to be due to immature reflexes," guidance states.
Babies who are discharged from hospital after an assessment are at low risk of having BRUE or of having another underlying issue, the experts state.
If it happens again and you're worried it's life threatening then you should call 999 for an ambulance.
If you witness a similar episode or your baby develops additional problems please return to the Children’s Emergency Department.
If you have any other questions or worries please contact your baby’s GP.
Whilst they were still on the phone, little Gianna started to spit up milk.
Jane said it was coming out of her mouth and her nose.
Because of this she turned her over and swept the back of her throat to clear her airway.
It was then that Gianna started to cry, four minutes after her parents had first called emergency services.
"Our whole street was lined with emergency vehicles. The response team ran in through the front door and took Gianna in their arms.
"She was pale as a ghost, but she was alive. I was in tears in the back of the ambulance, completely overwhelmed with the whole experience," Jane said.
Medics told the parents that Gianna had suffered with a BRUE.
Luckily, Gianna had a complete recovery and was discharged the following day.
Jane said it was the 'most stressful, horrific, four minutes of her life'.
"Looking at your baby and thinking you just lost them is the worst pain I have ever experienced.
"I hope other parents can see this story and realise just how important it is to educate yourself on what to do in an emergency," she said.
WHAT TO DO
The experts at Tiny Hearts said that in any situation that your child becomes unconscious and not breathing, there are seven steps to follow.
These are:
- Danger
- Response
- Send for help
- Airway
- Breathing
- CPR
- Defibrillation.
The experts said that if it's BRUE then you will only reach the 'airway' stage before your child returns to a normal conscious state.
You should monitor your child while you wait for an ambulance.
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Without an official diagnosis of BRUE, you need to treat the situation as an emergency with an unknown cause, they added.
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