A mum has shared a horrifying video of her baby struggling to breathe and foaming at the mouth – now a doctor is hoping to spread awareness of the condition that caused the worrying symptoms
A doctor has issued a stern warning to parents after a mum was left screaming as her baby stopped breathing in its cot.
New mother Sarah Bendel was left screaming after she went to check on her baby daughter with her two older children. In a clip Sarah picked up her baby, noticing her turn red, stop breathing properly, and foaming at the mouth.
Sarah then called for her partner to call 999. Thankfully, her baby girl is now well and healthy but she had suffered a BRUE – a brief resolved unexplained event when an infant’s breathing, tone, colour, or level of responsiveness changes.
The mum shared what happened to her TikTok page to raise awareness and raked in over 9.5million views. And now children’s doctor and medical advisor Doctor Yoshi is helping parents understand how to be prepared for BRUE incidents.
Taking to his TikTok page, @doctor_yoshi, the medical practitioner said BRUE can see an infant stop breathing or breathe abnormally. It can also cause their skin to look pale, blue or grey, their muscle tone can change to be more stiff or floppy, or they can become unresponsive.
“These episodes can be alarming,” he said. But the US-based doctor added: “The good news is that most last less than a minute and don’t indicate a serious problem. However others require more extensive evaluation to rule out heart, brain, and other conditions.”
He pointed out that the most common cause of the episodes is reflux, causing gagging. Explaining what to do, the doctor continued: “The first step is to pick you baby up and give them some gentle pats on the back and check for responsiveness. If at any point your baby becomes unresponsive, start CPR and call emergency services.”
After a BRUE episode the doctor advises seeing your GP to rule out any underlying conditions. “To prevent future BRUEs follow safe sleep practices, he added. “Place your baby on their back to sleep, make sure there’s no loose bedding in the crib and avoid overheating.”
Commenting on Doctor Yoshi’s video, one said: “New fear unlocked.” Another commented: “As if having a baby isn’t stressful enough.”
“Can’t even imagine how traumatic this experience was for this poor mummy,” a third added.
One mum who shared that her son suffered from a BRUE episode, said: “I turned him on his tummy and pat his back. It all came out his nose, he cried and I knew we were OK.”
One other added: “Our baby experienced a BRUE and it was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever witnessed. I can’t help but worry it’ll happen again.”
A spokesperson for the NHS said: “If your baby experiences another BRUE and you are worried that it is life threatening, 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.”
For more information visit the NHS website.
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