Is white noise actually harmful for your toddler? Paediatrician shares guidelines to keep in mind

Let’s be real, when the din and noise of the world gets too much, putting on a pair of noise-cancelling headphones and blasting white noise seems to be the only option to help get some work done! While parents are advised to opt for white noise to help their babies drift off into deep slumber, a recently released 2024 study published in Sleep Medicine says, “limitation of maximal sound intensity and duration on commercially available white noise devices” is need of the hour to prevent any harm to small kids.

Indianexpress.com spoke to Dr Srinivasa Murthy C L, Lead Paediatrics, Consultant – Paediatrics and Neonatology, Aster Women and Children Hospital, Whitefield, Bengaluru, to understand the guidelines parents should adhere to ensure their children’s auditory health.

“While adults have a safety level of around 85 decibel of sound, exposure to more than 8 hours of which may cause issues of hearing loss. For babies and toddlers, this level is lower- approximately 50 decibels is considered to be an appropriate amount,” said Dr Murthy.

“For small children, their brains and hearing apparatus are in the developing stage, and any negative impact can also pose risk to their speech- since the hearing and speaking facilities are basically connected,” he added.

Dr Murthy explained that in some babies, auditory processing disorders may also develop, a condition where the baby is exposed to white noise for a really long time and eventually their brains adapt to it to such an extent that their brains essentially stop acknowledging the existence of it altogether. This may cause partial hearing loss.

“Often, long term exposure to white noise may also be associated with developmental and learning problems in children in later stages. At times when parents forget to switch off the white noise machine, it may lead to noise induced hearing loss in babies,” he further added.

Dr Murthy explained that in some babies, auditory processing disorders may also develop (Source: Freepik)

What are some essential guidelines parents should keep in mind?

Dr Murthy suggested that parents should not keep the white noise machine near the baby’s head and make sure the volume is below 50 decibel. According to him, the machine shouldn’t be running for more than 1 hour at a stretch, and once the baby falls asleep, the machine can be turned off.

“The machines found in the market do not particularly abide by the decibel levels, hence it can be useful keeping the machine about 7 feet or 200 cm away from the baby. Also, make sure it is not being used as a regular occurrence, and only during times when the baby is having difficulty falling asleep,” he said.

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