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Noise in Neonatal and NICU
- Remind staff and visitors to keep their noise down
- Reduce the harmful influence of high noise levels
- Helps to reduce stress levels in infants
- Unbiased view of the actual noise level
Hospitals with concern about the noise levels in neonatal,
intensive care and children's wards are our biggest customers
for the noise warning sign. Babies in intensive care are particularly
sensitive to high noise levels and to the increased stress
that they cause.
Noise from visitors and staff is best dealt with using a
device such as the SoundEar as it is not influenced by the
complicated human perception of noise. |
Noise in Neonatal and NICU |
Neonatal units, like most hospital environments, tend to be very
poor acoustically due hard, reflective surfaces. Beds are often
closely spaced, visitors can talk loudly (especially the younger
ones) and staff have to work quickly and move equipment about. Add
to this the incubators being opened and closed, occasional tapping
on the lid and items dropped accidentally and the noise levels soon
become unpleasant for the baby. One of the biggest culprits is the
alarm, which is clearly essential, but as the background noise levels
get higher the alarm has to be louder still. A quieter background
allows for quieter alarms.
Immediate Effects of NICU Noise
The immediate effects of noise in the neonatal unit are reasonably
clear. The baby's sleep is easily disturbed and sudden loud noises
(bangs on the incubator for example) can have a startling affect
on the heart rate and breathing patterns.
High and intermittent noise is also unpleasant and distracting
for both staff and parents. Defined "Quiet Times", when
noise and light levels are kept down, certainly help and are now
used in many units.
Long Term Effects of NICU Noise
The long term effects of noise in the NICU are not so obvious.
Hearing impairment as a result of exposure to high noise levels
can be expected but research over the last few years has also shown
a link with language development. This seems to be related to the
fact that a baby that goes full term is only exposed to lower frequency
noise (< 250 Hz) during the brain and sensory development stages.
Some such research can be found in the links below.
Useful Neonatal Noise Links
Johns
Hopkins eNeonatal Review
February 2006, Volume 3, Number 6 |
Interesting articles and informative commentary
on the acoustic environment of the NICU and particularly on
the development of the brain and sensory mechanisms. There is
evidence that unusual stimulation in the third trimester of
pre term babies, such as noise levels that are much higher than
they would have been in the uterus, can result in atypical brain
development. |
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Rutgers
University - [PDF file]
NICU Noise & Language Development |
An article entitled Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Unit
Noise & Language Development. A mother's body attenuates
most frequencies about 250 Hz, so the baby is only exposed to
low frequency noise. Pre term babies are exposed to these higher
frequencies and this could have an influence in language development.
Research carried out asks parents about the acoustic environment
of the NICU and compares the results with the later language
development. |
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Nursing
Spectrum
Quiet Riot - Turn down the volume |
A nice article about noise and its effect on premature babies.
It includes notes about the effect of noise on such babies and
some obvious but often missed tips on how to reduce the noise
levels, from turning off radios to using sound-absorbing decor. |
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American
Academy of Pediatrics
Noise: A Hazard for the Fetus and Newborn |
Some information about the development hearing in the fetus
and the effects of noise on the newborn and premature baby. |
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