Developmental Observer  •  2019  •  13  

Aims/Purpose

In the NICU, environment sounds and noise can be challenging 
for the preterm and/or sick newborn baby. Reducing noise to 
provide an environment with appropriate and meaningful audi-
tory experiences such as parents’ voices is important. Elimination 
of loud noises will furthermore benefit the families and staff. 
In 2016, the NICU at Rigshospitalet - Copenhagen University 
Hospital, collaborated with SoundEar™, a company that devel-
ops noise-meters for indicating and collecting noise levels, to 
develop a software program that was appropriate and easy to use. 
The aim was to support reduction in noise levels at the NICU 
through different layers of nudging: The noise meters with dis-
plays should help staff and families become aware of their own 
noise levels and change their noisy behavior. The software helps 
staff become aware of when and where noise levels are critical 
and something should be done differently. The software sends 
out noise reports on a weekly basis via email to key staff mem-
bers, who use these reports as a basis for further discussion about 
noise at staff meetings.

Methods

Inspired by participatory research methods, SoundEar co-created 
the software program for hospital use with a group of staff from 
the NICU. Noise-meters were installed in all rooms. Half of the 
noise meters were anonymous white boxes, which solely measure 
and collect noise levels. The other half of the noise meters also 
have a display with an ear, that lights up green, yellow or red, 
indicating the current level of noise in the room. All the noise 
meters transfer noise measurement data wirelessly to a central 
computer, where it is accessible to staff through software. After 
having the SoundEar devices in the NICU for a few months, 
questionnaires about the perceived unit noise levels, and whether 
the SoundEar devices seemed to have changed anything, were 
distributed among the staff.

Results/Findings

It was determined that only a few staff members should be 
responsible for driving to the hospital to measure noise reduc-
tion rather than all staff members. Software-generated data was 
used to gather insights for the staff to discuss at weekly meetings. 
These insights turned into auto-generated noise reports being 
sent to key staff members to be discussed with staff. 

Fourteen staff members, primarily nurses, answered the 
questionnaire, with 78.6 % reporting that the SoundEar devices 
had made them more attentive to noise levels. The same amount 
reported to have changed some of their behaviour because of the 
SoundEar devices. The change that most staff members reported 
to have made, was when unpacking syringes and other types of 
medical equipment outside of patient rooms, because they no-

ticed that the ripping of plastic made unnecessary noise around 
the babies. Others reported lowering their voices and lowering 
the noise level of alarms as changes they had made after the 
installation of the SoundEar devices. Several staff members also 
reported to have seen an increase in parents’ attention to noise 
levels, and that they commented on noise to other visitors and 
siblings, thereby spreading the attention to noise.

Conclusion

A useful software program was developed to help strive to reduce 
unnecessary noise and promote appropriate surroundings in the 
NICU. Generation of daily or weekly reports of sound levels in 
each room may be used to promote and evaluate targeted noise-
reduction activities. 

Reducing Noise Through Awareness in the NICU 
Weis J, Haaber J

Rigshospitalet - Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark

The 29th Annual NIDCAP Trainers Meeting
Members of the Board of Directors and delegates in Porto, Portugal