Noise level suitable for children
While parents have always been advised to opt for white noise to help their children fall into a deep sleep, a new 2024 study published in the journal Sleep Medicine (USA) said: It is urgent to limit the maximum sound intensity and operating time of white noise devices currently on the market to prevent any harm to young children.
Regarding this, Dr. Srinivasa Murthy CL, Head of Pediatrics, Consultant – Pediatrics and Neonatology, Aster Women's and Children's Hospital (Whitefield, Bengaluru, India) explains that white noise is a particularly pleasant sound that can eliminate surrounding noise to help young children fall asleep easily.
White noise can be the sound of rain or waves, the sound of a hair dryer, the sound of a stream flowing downstream, the sound of a static TV, the sound of a fire...
Dr. Srinivasa Murthy CL analyzed that adults have a safe level of sound intensity of about 85 decibels, and exposure to more than 8 hours of sound can cause hearing loss problems. For babies and toddlers, this level is lower, only about 50 decibels is considered appropriate.
“In young children, their brains and auditory systems are still developing and any negative impact can put their speech and hearing abilities at risk,” notes Dr. Srinivasa Murthy CL.
In some infants, auditory processing disorder is also a common problem, explains Murthy CL.
For example, if a newborn is exposed to white noise for a long enough period of time, the baby's brain will adapt to it. This will cause the baby's brain to essentially stop recognizing the noise altogether. This can cause partial hearing loss.
“Often, long-term exposure to white noise can also be linked to developmental and learning problems in children later in life. Sometimes parents forget to turn off the white noise machine, which can lead to noise-induced hearing loss in infants,” added Srinivasa Murthy CL.
Some important principles that parents should keep in mind
Dr. Murthy suggests that parents should not place the white noise machine near the baby's head and make sure the volume is below 50 decibels.
According to him, the noise machine should not run continuously for more than 1 hour and when the baby falls asleep, parents can turn it off.
Many noise makers found on the market do not adhere to specific decibel levels, so it can be helpful to keep the machine about 7 feet or 200 cm away from the baby.
Also, make sure that the machine is not used frequently and only used during times when the baby is having trouble sleeping.
Source: https://laodong.vn/suc-khoe/nguyen-tac-su-dung-tieng-on-trang-voi-tre-so-sinh-1379286.ldo
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