Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Brief Resolved Unexplained Events (BRUEs) in Children: A Comparative Analysis of Pre-Pandemic and Pandemic Periods

Luana Nosetti
ORCID logo ,
Marco Zaffanello
* ORCID logo ,
Giorgio Piacentini
,
Francesca De Bernardi
,
Cristina Cappelluti
,
Camilla Sangiorgio
,
Massimo Agosti
Version 1 : Received: 14 January 2024 / Approved: 15 January 2024 / Online: 15 January 2024 (08:15:22 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Nosetti, L.; Zaffanello, M.; Piacentini, G.; De Bernardi, F.; Cappelluti, C.; Sangiorgio, C.; Agosti, M. Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Brief Resolved Unexplained Events (BRUEs) in Children: A Comparative Analysis of Pre-Pandemic and Pandemic Periods. Life 2024, 14, 392, doi:10.3390/life14030392. Nosetti, L.; Zaffanello, M.; Piacentini, G.; De Bernardi, F.; Cappelluti, C.; Sangiorgio, C.; Agosti, M. Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Brief Resolved Unexplained Events (BRUEs) in Children: A Comparative Analysis of Pre-Pandemic and Pandemic Periods. Life 2024, 14, 392, doi:10.3390/life14030392.

Abstract

Background: Brief Resolved Unexplained Events (BRUEs), formerly known as Apparent Life-Threatening Events (ALTE), are concerning episodes of short duration (typically < 1 min) characterized by a change in breathing, consciousness, muscle tone, and/or skin color. In some cases, SARS-CoV-2 infection has been associated with episodes of BRUEs in previously healthy children.This study aimed to compare the demographic, respiratory, perinatal, and infectious characteristics in children affected by BRUE before the COVID-19 pandemic and after the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study covering January 2018 to March 2020 (pre-COVID-19) and April 2023 (during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic). Collected variables included clinical information during pregnancy and neonatal details of children with BRUE. Results: The number of children in the pre-COVID-19 period was 186 (41%); after the emergence and spread of SARS-CoV-2, it was 268 (59%). The risk of infection at birth for children developing BRUE was higher during the pandemic. Children were less likely to have ongoing symptomatic infection during BRUE during the pandemic (coefficient B = 0.783; p=0.009). Respiratory symptoms during BRUE were more frequent during the pandemic (coefficient B = 0.654; p=0.052). Fever during BRUE was less likely during the pandemic (coefficient B = -0.465, p=0.046). Conclusions: The study suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted children with BRUE, potentially due to changes in hygiene practices and maternal-fetal infections.

Keywords

Apparent Life-Threatening Events; Brief Resolved Unexplained Event; COVID-19; infant; newborn; polysomnography; pregnancy; SARS-CoV-2.

Subject

Medicine and Pharmacology, Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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