Living in a box: Understanding acoustic parameters in the NICU environment

Frontiers in Pediatrics

Pediatrics

Marcus Maeder¹  Matthias A. Bertsch²  Philipp Deindl³  Lisa Bartha-Doering⁴  Vito Giordano⁵  Katharina Bibl⁵  Angelika Berger⁵  Christoph Reuter⁶  Isabella Czedik-Eysenberg⁷ 

[1] Department of Engineering Physics and Computation, School of Engineering and Design, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany;Department of Music Physiology, University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Vienna, Austria;Department of Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care Medicine, University Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany;Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria;Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria;Musicological Department (Acoustics/Music Psychology), University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria;Musicological Department (Acoustics/Music Psychology), University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria;Music Technology and Digital Musicology Lab, Institute for Musicology and Music Pedagogy, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany;

关键词: sound level;    dB (A-weighted vs. unweighted);    incubator;    resonance;    noise;    NICU;    preterm;    acoustic features;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fped.2023.1147226

 received in 2023-01-18, accepted in 2023-02-27,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundIn the last years, a significant body of scientific literature was dedicated to the noisy environment preterm-born infants experience during their admission to Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). Nonetheless, specific data on sound characteristics within and outside the incubator are missing. Therefore, this study aimed to shed light on noise level and sound characteristics within the incubator, considering the following domain: environmental noise, incubator handling, and respiratory support.MethodsThe study was performed at the Pediatric Simulation Center at the Medical University of Vienna. Evaluation of noise levels inside and outside the incubator was performed using current signal analysis libraries and toolboxes, and differences between dBA and dBSPL values for the same acoustic noises were investigated. Noise level results were furthermore classed within previously reported sound levels derived from a literature survey. In addition, sound characteristics were evaluated by means of more than 70 temporal, spectral, and modulatory timbre features.ResultsOur results show high noise levels related to various real-life situations within the NICU environment. Differences have been observed between A weighted (dBA) and unweighted (dBSPL) values for the same acoustic stimulus. Sonically, the incubator showed a dampening effect on sounds (less high frequency components, less brightness/sharpness, less roughness, and noisiness). However, a strong tonal booming component was noticeable, caused by the resonance inside the incubator cavity. Measurements and a numerical model identified a resonance of the incubator at 97 Hz and a reinforcement of the sound components in this range of up to 28 dB.ConclusionSound characteristics, the strong low-frequency incubator resonance, and levels in dBSPL should be at the forefront of both the development and promotion of incubators when helping to preserve the hearing of premature infants.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
© 2023 Reuter, Bartha-Doering, Czedik-Eysenberg, Maeder, Bertsch, Bibl, Deindl, Berger and Giordano.