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Baby Boom: How Loud Noises Can Affect Your Unborn Baby

by Alexandra Kilpatrick

“Exposure to excessive noise during pregnancy may result in high frequency hearing loss in the newborn and could lead to intrauterine growth retardation. If not taken care of, it can also lead to birth of underweight babies,” the International Fertility Center’s gynecologist and fertility expert Rita Bakshi explained in a statement.

More than 60 percent of the 4 million neonatal deaths that occur globally each year are linked to low birth weight. Bakshi commented that high intensity noise can lead to cochlear damage, a common cause of hearing loss.

“An unborn baby’s outer, inner and middle parts of the ear are well developed after 24 week’s gestation and the baby can effectively transmit sounds to the brain for processing,” Pooja Mehta, a senior consultant gynecologist and obstetrician at Paras Hospital in Gurgaon, India, said in the statement. “However, the exposure to sounds over 90 to 100 decibels can raise your unborn baby’s risk of hearing loss. It also can increase the chances of giving birth prematurely and of having a low birth weight baby.”

Growth Disruption Possible

Vimal Grover, a gynecologist and obstetrician at Fortis Healthcare, advises women to protect themselves from high intensity noise in order to decrease the incidence of premature delivery, among other things.

“If women do not take precautions and are exposed to high intensity noise, then there are chances there are pre-term deliveries and disruption in the normal growth and development of the premature infants,” Grover commented in a statement. “Further studies are still on to find…the other ill-effects that high intensity noise can cause to pregnant women.”

When You Can’t Seem to Get Away from Loud Noises...

Mayo Clinic offers a few steps to take to help prevent noise-induced hearing loss.

If your workplace produces high intensity noise, you should use specially designed earmuffs that protect your ears by bringing loud sounds down to an acceptable level. You should also undergo regular hearing tests to detect early signs of hearing loss. Avoid recreational hearing loss risks like rock concerts and riding a snowmobile by either wearing hearing protectors or taking breaks from the noise.

If you or someone you know would like to learn more about hearing loss and how to treat it, please feel free to schedule a consultation or contact one of our representatives today!

Call 877-631-9511 for FREE Consultation

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