A mother on TikTok has gone viral after sharing video footage from her baby monitor of her 6-week-old baby experiencing a scary event known as BRUE, or brief resolved unexplained event. Mom of three Sarah Bendel has received nearly 9 million views on her video with over 600,000 likes, and more than 11,000 comments.
In the video, Bendel is seen picking up her newborn, Jojo, who appears to be red and drooling and spitting up before going stiff. Bendel is then seen running and screaming for help.
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Bendel hopes to raise awareness about BRUE.
In the video caption, Bendel shared that she’s trying to raise awareness and show just how traumatic the BRUE experience was with her 6-week-old. She captioned her video on TikTok with: “#BRUE #briefresolvedunexplainedevent BRUE AWARENESS. This was so traumatic. I can’t even begin to describe the panic that set in. Jojo is 6 weeks old and suffered with this today. #6weekold #6weekoldbaby #infant has this happened to anyone else? She had last eaten 3 hours prior. I was waking her to feed her, and this happened.”
TikTok users shared stories of similar scary experiences they had with their own children.
Bendel’s video highlights the rare and scary experience of BRUE, and many users on TikTok shared their own similarly scary experiences in the comments section.
One user wrote: “Our son had a BRUE while I was holding him. According to our doctors at the hospital, they usually happen during sleep – hence so many never seeing one.”
“First time mom here..this happened to my son as well..it happened at least 3 more times for us," another user commented. "Doc said it was acid reflux, idk if i believe that tho."
“This happened to my daughter at 3 days old," wrote one mom. "Most traumatic experience of my whole life."
What parents should know about BRUE.
BRUE is understandably an extremely scary experience for parents and caregivers. There are a few symptoms to look out for associated with BRUE, such as muscles relaxing or tightening, a change in skin color, the appearance of passing out, or ceasing breathing, according to Nationwide Children's Hospital.
The American Academy of Pediatrics lists several factors that may put babies at a lower risk for a future BRUE event. Those are babies who were not born prematurely, who are older than 60 days, whose previous BRUE lasted less than a minute, and those for whom CPR was not needed.
If a parent or caregiver suspects a life threatening concern related to BRUE they should call 911, recommends Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
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Bendel posted an update on her baby.
Users on TikTok asked for an update on Bendel’s baby after watching the scary video she posted.
In the followup video, Bendel and her daughter are in a hospital room and Bendel said, “The update is Jojo is ok. They have admitted her for the night though for observation." Bendel captioned the video with, “Replying to @lipstickadventures thanks for asking ❤️ she is fine. Pulse ox is good. Resporation is good. Temp good. BP good. Just a horrible, horrible event. #BRUE #brueawareness #NEWBORNS #breathing #infant #infantbreathing.”
Thankfully, Bendel’s six week old daughter was OK after the BRUE event and her video has helped to raise awareness so other parents know what to look out for.
*Disclaimer: The advice on CafeMom.com is not a substitute for consultation with a medical professional or treatment for a specific condition. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem without consulting a qualified professional. Please contact your health-care provider with questions and concerns.
