Roberta Pineda1, Polly Durant2, Amit Mathur3, Terrie Inder4, Michael Wallendorf5, Bradley L Schlaggar6. 1. Program in Occupational Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. Electronic address: pineda_r@kids.wustl.edu. 2. Program in Occupational Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. 3. Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. 4. Department of Pediatric Newborn Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA. 5. Division of Biostatistics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO. 6. Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To quantify early auditory exposures in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and evaluate how these are related to medical and environmental factors. We hypothesized that there would be less auditory exposure in the NICU private room, compared with the open ward. STUDY DESIGN: Preterm infants born at ≤ 28 weeks gestation (33 in the open ward, 25 in private rooms) had auditory exposure quantified at birth, 30 and 34 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA), and term equivalent age using the Language Environmental Acquisition device. RESULTS: Meaningful language (P < .0001), the number of adult words (P < .0001), and electronic noise (P < .0001) increased across PMA. Silence increased (P = .0007) and noise decreased (P < .0001) across PMA. There was more silence in the private room (P = .02) than the open ward, with an average of 1.9 hours more silence in a 16-hour period. There was an interaction between PMA and room type for distant words (P = .01) and average decibels (P = .04), indicating that changes in auditory exposure across PMA were different for infants in private rooms compared with infants in the open ward. Medical interventions were related to more noise in the environment, although parent presence (P = .009) and engagement (P = .002) were related to greater language exposure. Average sound levels in the NICU were 58.9 ± 3.6 decibels, with an average peak level of 86.9 ± 1.4 decibels. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the NICU auditory environment paves the way for interventions that reduce high levels of adverse sound and enhance positive forms of auditory exposure, such as language.
OBJECTIVE: To quantify early auditory exposures in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and evaluate how these are related to medical and environmental factors. We hypothesized that there would be less auditory exposure in the NICU private room, compared with the open ward. STUDY DESIGN: Preterm infants born at ≤ 28 weeks gestation (33 in the open ward, 25 in private rooms) had auditory exposure quantified at birth, 30 and 34 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA), and term equivalent age using the Language Environmental Acquisition device. RESULTS: Meaningful language (P < .0001), the number of adult words (P < .0001), and electronic noise (P < .0001) increased across PMA. Silence increased (P = .0007) and noise decreased (P < .0001) across PMA. There was more silence in the private room (P = .02) than the open ward, with an average of 1.9 hours more silence in a 16-hour period. There was an interaction between PMA and room type for distant words (P = .01) and average decibels (P = .04), indicating that changes in auditory exposure across PMA were different for infants in private rooms compared with infants in the open ward. Medical interventions were related to more noise in the environment, although parent presence (P = .009) and engagement (P = .002) were related to greater language exposure. Average sound levels in the NICU were 58.9 ± 3.6 decibels, with an average peak level of 86.9 ± 1.4 decibels. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the NICU auditory environment paves the way for interventions that reduce high levels of adverse sound and enhance positive forms of auditory exposure, such as language.
Authors: Gillian C Smith; Jordan Gutovich; Christopher Smyser; Roberta Pineda; Carol Newnham; Tiong H Tjoeng; Claudine Vavasseur; Michael Wallendorf; Jeffrey Neil; Terrie Inder Journal: Ann Neurol Date: 2011-10-04 Impact factor: 10.422
Authors: Roberta G Pineda; Jeff Neil; Donna Dierker; Christopher D Smyser; Michael Wallendorf; Hiroyuki Kidokoro; Lauren C Reynolds; Stephanie Walker; Cynthia Rogers; Amit M Mathur; David C Van Essen; Terrie Inder Journal: J Pediatr Date: 2013-10-17 Impact factor: 4.406
Authors: Lara Liszka; Joan Smith; Amit Mathur; Bradley L Schlaggar; Graham Colditz; Roberta Pineda Journal: Early Hum Dev Date: 2019-07-09 Impact factor: 2.079
Authors: Tanis R Fenton; Barbara Cormack; Dena Goldberg; Roseann Nasser; Belal Alshaikh; Misha Eliasziw; William W Hay; Angela Hoyos; Diane Anderson; Frank Bloomfield; Ian Griffin; Nicholas Embleton; Niels Rochow; Sarah Taylor; Thibault Senterre; Richard J Schanler; Seham Elmrayed; Sharon Groh-Wargo; David Adamkin; Prakesh S Shah Journal: J Perinatol Date: 2020-03-25 Impact factor: 2.521
Authors: Rachel Romeo; Regina Pezanowski; Kassie Merrill; Sarah Hargrave; Anne Hansen Journal: J Child Health Care Date: 2022-03-01 Impact factor: 1.896
Authors: Lara Liszka; Elizabeth Heiny; Joan Smith; Bradley L Schlaggar; Amit Mathur; Roberta Pineda Journal: Acta Paediatr Date: 2020-03-10 Impact factor: 2.299