Peak noise distribution in the neonatal intensive care nursery.

OBJECTIVE

To measure short duration sounds (L(PEAK)) in the neonatal intensive care unit and describe their intensity, incidence, and periodicity in relationship to activities within the unit.

STUDY DESIGN

We measured 1-minute L(PEAK) at four locations within the intensive care unit, accumulating 48 hours of data for each weekday.

RESULTS

Thirty-one percent of the L(PEAK) exceeded 90 dB. For further analysis, the data were transformed to the proportion exceeding 90 dB. These values varied significantly with day, week, location, and time of day. During physician rounds, there was a 16% relative increase in L(PEAK).

CONCLUSION

These data demonstrate the intensity, incidence, and periodicity of short duration sounds in the intensive care nursery. Short duration sounds are known to affect the infant's physiological and behavioral states and should be addressed in future recommendations for sound control and reduction strategies.