Noise is an environmental pollution. If the noise is too loud, it not only affects the mother's physical health, but also directly affects the baby in the womb. After the baby in the pregnant woman's womb develops to a certain extent, they will have hearing and can hear external sounds. Therefore, noise can also have many adverse effects on the baby. So when does the impact of noise on the fetus start?
1、 How much impact does noise have on the fetus
1. At 16 weeks of pregnancy, the baby's hearing begins to form
At 16-19 weeks of pregnancy, fetal hearing begins to form. At this moment, the baby can hear the sound of the mother's heartbeat, blood flow, gastrointestinal peristalsis, as well as the mother's gentle voice and singing. These sounds are all around 30 decibels, like whispers in the ear, and will not have any adverse effects on fetal hearing. By around 25 weeks of gestation, the hearing of the fetus is almost equivalent to that of an adult; By week 28, there is already sufficient ability to respond to auditory stimuli.
2. The sound heard by the fetus is 20 decibels lower than outside
The noise received by the fetus is transmitted through the mother's abdominal wall, which has a reflex effect and reduces external sounds by about 20 decibels. When the loud shouting outside reaches the fetus, it feels like whispering.
But if the pregnant mother is exposed to strong noise for a long time, the protection of her abdominal wall will be limited. Especially for low-frequency sounds, there is almost no attenuation function, which is equivalent to the auditory system of the fetus being directly exposed to strong noise.
3. Long term high-intensity noise stimulation affects fetal brain development
Babies like to hear the sound of people speaking and dislike the interference of noise. The most direct harm of strong noise to the fetus is the potential adverse effects on its auditory development. In addition, long-term exposure to noise can disrupt the function of the endocrine glands in pregnant women, causing strong uterine contractions, which may lead to miscarriage and premature birth. If the fetal inner ear is exposed to high-intensity noise stimulation for a long time, it can damage some areas of the brain, and in severe cases, it may affect the development of the brain. Studies have shown that long-term exposure to noisy environments may lead to a more irritable personality in babies in the future.
2、 How expectant mothers can protect their babies' hearing
The harm caused by noise formation is relatively potential and chronic, easily overlooked, but once it causes serious consequences, it is difficult to reverse. However, expectant mothers don't need to worry too much. As long as they remain vigilant and take precautions, it's not difficult to protect their baby's hearing.
1. Ensure that the mother has comprehensive and adequate nutrition. Malnutrition during pregnancy in expectant mothers may affect the development of brain cells in the fetus, leading to reduced auditory responsiveness. If suffering from vitamin B deficiency, it may also cause slow progressing neurological hearing loss.
2. Try to minimize exposure to noise and stay away from noise levels exceeding the standard (85 decibels to 90 decibels) during pregnancy.
3. Consciously avoid places with high noise intensity such as dance halls and construction sites.
4. The prenatal education music used should also meet the requirements of frequency, sound intensity, etc., in order to protect the healthy development of the fetus.
External noise can also cause harm to babies with hearing, so in order to avoid the harm of noise to babies, pregnant friends must actively avoid places with more noise and protect their unborn babies.
