Noise in Neonatal Care: How sound affects premature babies

Prof. Tchorz explains the role frequency plays in sound and why the a-weighting scale is developed and used. So when we see dB and dB(A), we understand the difference. The goal is to better understand sound so we can create a better sound environment for preemies in Neonatal Care.

Prof. Tchorz explains how sound travels through different mediums or even more specifically what happens when sound travels from air to water or a solid. This is especially important when thinking of the natural environment in the womb compared to the environment in Neonatal Care. The goal is to better understand sound so we can create a better sound environment for preemies in Neonatal Care.

Prof. Tchorz explains how different decibel levels feel with some relatable examples. The goal is to better understand sound and more specifically decibel levels so we can create a better sound environment for preemies in Neonatal Care.

Prof. Tchorz explains how sound influences our development when it comes to our orientation and language skills. This is especially important when we think about what the preemie is exposed to in Neonatal Care. The goal is to better understand sound so we can create a better sound environment for preemies in Neonatal Care.

Carole Kenner talks about how staff and parents can be affected by a noisy Neonatal Care environment. She explains how it has affected her personally and how she has seen it affect parents.

Carole Kenner addresses sound stimulation and how different units around the world incorporate this topic into their daily practices. She reminds us that there are many ways to introduce sound stimuli but we always need to monitor the baby to see how she or she is responding to it as they are the best indicators for when it is working or not.

Are you monitoring noise in your Neonatal Care? Where should we be monitoring? Dr. White discusses the importance of monitoring and more specifically exactly where we should be monitoring to best care for the babies' sound environment.

Mary Coughlin talks about the importance of getting everyone on board before implementing a noise reduction program or any other developmental care focused program. Everyone from the person at the front desk to the nursing staff to the neonatologists to the management level needs to be on board to be successful.

Mary Coughlin talks about a best practice case in Belgium. Everything from their goals, how they implemented their program and their results. While it is only one example, and needs to be replicated, the results they were able to achieve just by starting with improving the auditory environment are worth a look.

Mary Coughlin talks about a best practice case in Atlanta where they fully wired their unit to have around the clock sound monitoring and then implemented a quiet time initiative. This means they chose two time slots a day when they would dim the lights, avoid disturbing the infants with procedures, and speak in softer voices.