Chronic Noise Exposure and Cognitive Development in Infants

• In Event: Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: PS 10 Topic -Diversity, Equity & Social Justice

Abstract

Background: There appears to be sufficient literature indicating that noise, defined by unwanted, uncontrollable, and unpredictable sounds, has become a “health hazard” bringing physiological and psychological challenges (Bronzaft & Madell, 1991). Specifically in children, it has been shown that chronic exposure to higher levels of extraneous noise has an impact on cognitive and language development shown as early as preschool years (Hygge, 2019). It has yet to be investigated if these impacts occur even earlier, during the first year of life. This analysis focused on cross-sectional data collected by the SHINE Project, a longitudinal study assessing early exposure to environmental, psychological, and biological risks and the adverse effects of poverty on the subsequent generation. We examined noise exposure and cognitive development during infancy, hypothesizing that prolonged higher noise exposure during the first year of life is associated with lower levels of cognitive performance as an infant.

Methods: Mother-infant dyads (N=51) participated in postnatal home visits, during which, the average noise level in the family’s home was measured and infants participated in a cognitive assessment. Chronic noise exposure was measured by a two hour reading of the average decibel levels (Leq) in the primary social space of the home (typically the living room or dining room) by a decibel meter. Cognitive development for the infants was assessed with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development – Second Edition (BSID-II; Bayley, 1996) specifically the cognitive subscale, which has items related to attention and memory function (Armstrong, 2010).

Results: Using a linear regression model, we tested the association between noise level (Leq) in the home and cognitive development controlling for socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and sex of the child (F(1, 49) = 12.4, p < .001) Higher noise level (Leq) in the home was predictive of lower cognitive scores (BSID-II) among the infants.

Conclusions: Higher noise level (Leq) in the home was iversely related to lower cognitive scores (BSID-II). The findings indicate that chronic noise exposure in the home can have detrimental impacts on cognitive development as early as infancy similarly to the findings in older childhood (Evans et al., 1998). This chronic exposure to higher levels of extraneous noise may cause heightened stress in infants, negatively influencing their cognitive development.

Author

• Melissa Hansen, Colorado State University
  Presenting Author