by Amanda Meyer
Child Life Specialist

Diapers…check, Bottles…check, Baby…check

With all the excitement and anxiety that comes with taking your newborn home, there is one thing often forgotten: NOISE. Like anything that is bad for your newborn, noise should be moderated. Many parents aren’t aware of how hearing matures in a child. Unless there is already a concern, noise awareness is not something parents are taught before leaving the hospital. A child’s hearing continues to develop until about age five.

Hearing Development

24 weeks: completion of normal development
26 weeks: fetus can store/perceive auditory information
28 weeks: fetus exhibits sensitivity to sound
30 weeks: fetus shows preference for human voice
33 weeks: responses to sound become more organized
36 weeks: baby can show stress behavior in response to loud sounds
Birth to 6 months: newborn develops auditory discrimination (the difference between sounds)
…1 year: normal development of auditory discrimination 
… 5 years: auditory system continues to mature

A child’s first exposure to noise is often in a hospital setting. If the hospital has proper noise awareness, staff talk quietly, monitors are set on low volume, phones are set to vibrate, and the environment is calm. On the journey home, your newborn may be exposed to new and often over-stimulating noises like a car radio, telephone ringing, wind, cars honking, doors shutting, people talking loudly, etc. Exposure to loud noise can cause increased stress on your newborn, thus affecting normal development. Noise stressors can include increased heart rate, blood pressure, and intracranial pressure, hearing impairment, or sleep disruption. Parents sometimes forget that infants need quiet even when they are awake.

Unfortunately, newborns cannot protect themselves from loud noises, so you must do it for them. You can limit the number of sound sources your baby is hearing. You can provide appropriate noise such as a mobile, lullaby music, or nature sounds. Even with other children in the home, you can implement a quiet hour which reminds everyone the importance of a calm environment. When going out in public, always be aware of the potential harm to your child. Try to avoid loud restaurants or events during the first year of life. Keep loud toys on a low volume and mute loud appliances if possible.      

Noise awareness is so important that there is an International Noise Awareness Day recognized. The day is a small reminder about the importance of noise control for newborns and young children. On this day and every day it is encouraged to observe a few minutes of silence. The goal is to be aware of the noises around you and to realize the potential negative outcomes. You can always try the “Quiet Diet” for a way to start applying noise control in your home…  

• Pay attention to the noises you make
• Turn down the volume two notches (TV, Radio, Alarms, Doorbell, etc)
• Use headphones, especially when others are sleeping
• Avoid noisy sports events, restaurants, parties, and concerts
• Replace noisy activities with quiet ones (taking a walk, visit libraries/museums)
• Turn off the television during dinner
• Spread the word by making signs

Shhhhh, child sleeping, resting, growing, learning, and developing!