This observational study will examine the effects of thickened feeds on clinical outcomes and healthcare utilization in infants with brief resolved unexplained event (BRUE).
Brief resolved unexplained events (BRUE) are frightening episodes characterized by the appearance of life-threatening choking, pallor, cyanosis, and limpness in infants. These common events are resource-intensive and current management approaches inadequately address persistent symptoms. Infants with BRUE commonly have oropharyngeal dysphagia with aspiration, which is a modifiable risk factor for persistent symptoms, but there are no studies determining the mechanism behind this swallowing dysfunction and if swallowing interventions reduce morbidity. This is a prospective, longitudinal cohort study of infants who experienced brief resolved unexplained event receiving thickened feedings compared to those not receiving thickened feedings over 1 year.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
250
Thickened feeds directed by medical team
Non-thickened feeds directed by medical team
Boston Children's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
RECRUITINGFrequency of persistent symptoms and repeat hospitalizations over 6-month follow-up period
Frequency of persistent symptoms and repeat hospitalizations over the 6 months after enrollment, with a comparison between those receiving and not receiving thickened feeds.
Time frame: 6 months
Frequency of persistent symptoms and hospitalization risk over the full 12-month follow-up period
Symptoms and hospitalization risk over the full 12-month follow-up period, optimal period of time needed for thickening, parent-reported anxiety levels, cost of care at Boston Children's Hospital, potential adverse effects of thickening, and urine arsenic levels, all compared between subjects receiving and not receiving thickened feeds.
Time frame: 12 months
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.