Parenting: Babies
Using White Noise to Calm a Fussy Newborn
Through crying, babies express what they need or feel. Hunger, discomfort, over-stimulation, over-tiredness, illness and even boredom are common reasons why babies cry. Crying is simply communication. Although it is a natural event, listening to your baby’s crying can be nerve-racking and distressing. It is a universal challenge that every parent faces. Unfortunately, it is a lesson they do not teach in Parenting Class 101.
Babies Cry? "I tried to stop Campbell’s crying and immediately felt like I was doing something wrong," says first-time mother Michelle McClennan from Illinois. "Everything I thought would work, such as rocking or singing, did not suffice. At first, I was a little embarrassed. Then I was a bit panicky. I thought, ‘Is this what it is going to be like?’" Michelle quickly began experimenting with various methods of soothing her daughter via trial and error. And during one magic moment, she discovered the positive effects of white noise.
"It seemed to be the missing link," says McClennan. "Once I began playing a white noise CD there was an immediate difference. My daughter calmed down. I was so relieved. It was obvious that Campbell liked what she heard."
White noise contains a mixture of sound waves extended over a wide frequency range. This unique noise calms by blocking out unwanted sounds. Because a young baby's developing neurological system is not able to tune out surrounding stimuli, many babies become overwhelmed. White noise helps shut out agitating factors that trigger crying. White noise lessens the stimuli of a baby's big new world, preventing stressed-out newborns. It also reminds them of life in the womb.
Exposure to white noise starts very early during the development of the fetus. Doctors report that a fetus begins to develop sense organs around the 8th week of pregnancy. The fetus gradually becomes sensitive to sound. At 29 weeks the fetus can hear the sounds within the mother’s body. The "swoosh" of the mother’s bloodstream, the heartbeat and the rumble of the digestive tract are constant. The fetus becomes comfortable with these sounds. In their dark, watery world, it is their constant friend – a 24-hour symphony and a reassuring melody.
Dr. Harvey Karp, an expert in treating colicky babies and author of The Happiest Baby on the Block (Bantam, 2003), says that "inside the uterus, the baby is tightly confined and hears a constant sound that's a little louder than a vacuum cleaner." This white noise, he theorizes, elicits a "calming reflex" that soothes and comforts the fetus.
Dr. William Sears, who has been a practicing pediatrician for more than 30 years and author of numerous pediatric books, says babies are soothed by sounds, preferably ones that remind them of the sounds they experienced in-utero. "The most calming sounds are rhythmic, monotonous, low-pitched and humming in quality, with slowly rising crescendos and decrescendos," he says.
Dr. Sears says use of white noise, "will lull an overloaded mind into sleep" by blocking agitating stimuli. He recommends trying to re-create white noise with household devices such as a vacuum cleaner, bathroom fan or the sound of an air conditioner.
The practice of soothing babies has been passed down from generation to generation throughout the ages. Its longevity is attributable to its efficacy. Today’s parents enjoy the convenience of white noise machines and white noise CDs. These handy tools help soothe both parents and infants by creating a comforting environment where babies drift off to sleep.
The Hush Baby CD contains a unique blend of white noise, which mimics the white noise effect of the womb (blood flowing through the mother's body and the digestive system). This 70-minute CD quiets infant crying and calms even the fussiest baby. It is an excellent tool for extending infant sleep and for sleep training newborns and it is an iParenting Media Award winner!
The baby has arrived! Your precious little bundle seems perfect in every way. You bask in the magic of the moment. However, soon this moment is interrupted by an inevitable event – crying. Puzzled looks appear, blood pressures begin to rise and new parents (and even veteran parents) scramble to stop it.
"I laugh about it now, but I was shocked by the amount of crying," says Carolyn Dickens, a recent new mother from Chicago, Ill. "I felt I had everything prepared. The nursery was finished, the clothes hung neatly in the closet, bottles, wipes and lotions were all ready to go. I was ready for anything – or so I thought. The amount of crying was such an adjustment!" These sentiments are echoed by mother after mother when describing that "new mom experience."
White Noise Raves
Campbell isn’t the only baby who likes the sound of white noise. Pediatricians often recommend white noise to parents of fussy or colicky babies. White noise is recognized throughout the pediatric medical community for its benefits in easing colic, calming crying and helping infants fall asleep.
"Fetuses are barraged by sensory input, from the whoosh of blood through the mother's arteries to the rocking of her every move," says Dr. Karp. He suggests that parents help their infants "feel like they are back home in the comfort of the womb" by exposing them to similar sounds.
