Level and Noise Sources in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of a Reference Hospital.
Alma Damaris Hernández-Salazar, Josefina Gallegos-Martínez, Jaime Reyes-Hernández
PMID 33306903WHAT IT FOUND
NICU noise near preterm babies averaged 64.5 dB, and room noise averaged 63.3 dB, above 45 dB daytime and 35 dB nighttime limits.
Alarms, bottle clashes, staff conversation and shift changes were common sources.
Key findings
01Average noise near the ear was 64.5 dB and room noise was 63.3 dB, above the 45 dB daytime and 35 dB nighttime hospital limits.
02Alarms from ventilators, cradles and infusion pumps, and staff conversation, were frequent noise sources.
03Noise near the baby's ear was higher than room noise on most day and shift comparisons, except Sunday evening.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only nine preterm neonates were studied in one hospital over three days, so the findings may not apply to other NICUs. The study measured noise levels and sources; it did not test whether reducing noise improves infant outcomes. Individual noise sources were identified by coinciding rises in the recording rather than isolated source measurements. Decibel recordings were variable, partly because of background noise and because the team did not include an acoustic measurement expert. Staff changed behaviour during the measurement days, such as lowering voice volume and responding to alarms, so the observed levels may not reflect unobserved practice.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that reducing NICU noise improves preterm infant hearing, sleep or development. This paper measured noise levels and sources, not patient outcomes or an intervention.