Mother Recounts Frightening Experience with Infant BRUE

A new mother from Missouri, Layna Wells, recently shared her harrowing experience of waking up to find her newborn daughter, Stevie, in a distressing state. On a seemingly ordinary morning, Wells woke at 5 a.m. to feed her three-week-old daughter. After feeding and holding her, Wells placed Stevie back to sleep. Two hours later, at 7 a.m., she awoke to a shocking sight.

Wells described the moment to Newsweek. “I don’t know why I woke up, but I did,” she said, recounting her shock at seeing Stevie blue and cold. Quickly unwrapping her daughter, Wells took immediate action. She performed five quick thrusts between the shoulders, followed by chest compressions. This emergency response prompted Stevie to resume breathing.

Following the CPR, Wells massaged Stevie’s skin to encourage circulation. This effort led to Stevie opening her eyes, though she did not cry at the time. On the journey to the emergency room, Stevie remained awake until her temperature and vitals were checked, which prompted her first cry since the incident.

Stevie was diagnosed with a Brief Resolved Unexplained Event (BRUE). This event, though frightening for parents, is distinct from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID). Children with low-risk BRUE generally have positive outcomes. In 2016, the American Academy of Pediatrics replaced the term ALTE (Apparent Life-Threatening Event) with BRUE to clarify differences from SIDS.

Wells revealed that despite her CPR technique initially being incorrect, it achieved the desired effect. Medical professionals advised her to repeat the same actions if faced with a similar situation. The experience has deeply affected Wells. “It’s by far the most gut-wrenching, horrible, nauseating experience I’ve ever lived through,” she recalled, emphasizing her fear of reliving such moments.

Wells shared that she often struggles to sleep, watching Stevie’s breathing throughout the night. “Sometimes her breathing slows down and I go into immediate panic mode,” she admitted.

She hopes her story encourages other parents to learn infant CPR. “You never think you’re actually going to need to use it until suddenly you do,” Wells stated, stressing the importance of acting decisively without hesitation. Despite feeling lucky her actions worked, she expressed concern that others may view her case as a standard. She emphasized that even if parents handle everything correctly, they may face tragic moments. Wells noted, “That is not a failure on their part.”

For additional information and follow-up on the story, contact Newsweek editors Rebecca Flood and Gray R. Thomas.