TY - JOUR
T1 - Evaluation of fetal exposure to environmental noise using a computer-generated model
AU - Gélat, Pierre
AU - van 't Wout, Elwin
AU - Haqhenas, Reza
AU - Melbourne, Andrew
AU - David, Anna L
AU - Mufti, Nada
AU - Henriques, Julian
AU - de Maisieres, Aude Thibaut
AU - Jauniaux, Eric
PY - 2024/11/25
Y1 - 2024/11/25
N2 - Acoustic noise can have profound effects on wellbeing, impacting the health of the pregnant mother and the development of the fetus. Mounting evidence suggests neural memory traces are formed by auditory learning in utero. A better understanding of the fetal auditory environment is therefore critical to avoid exposure to damaging noise levels. Using anatomical data from MRI scans (
N = 3), we used a computational model to quantify the acoustic field inside the pregnant maternal abdomen. We obtained acoustic transfer characteristics across the human audio range and pressure maps in transverse planes passing through the uterus at 5 kHz, 10 kHz and 20 kHz, showcasing multiple scattering and modal patterns. Our calculations suggest that for all datasets, the sound transmitted in utero is attenuated by as little as 6 dB below 1 kHz, confirming results from animal studies that the maternal abdomen and pelvis do not shelter the fetus from external noise.
AB - Acoustic noise can have profound effects on wellbeing, impacting the health of the pregnant mother and the development of the fetus. Mounting evidence suggests neural memory traces are formed by auditory learning in utero. A better understanding of the fetal auditory environment is therefore critical to avoid exposure to damaging noise levels. Using anatomical data from MRI scans (
N = 3), we used a computational model to quantify the acoustic field inside the pregnant maternal abdomen. We obtained acoustic transfer characteristics across the human audio range and pressure maps in transverse planes passing through the uterus at 5 kHz, 10 kHz and 20 kHz, showcasing multiple scattering and modal patterns. Our calculations suggest that for all datasets, the sound transmitted in utero is attenuated by as little as 6 dB below 1 kHz, confirming results from animal studies that the maternal abdomen and pelvis do not shelter the fetus from external noise.
U2 - 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5397645/v1
DO - 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5397645/v1
M3 - Article
C2 - 39649159
SN - 2693-5015
JO - Archives of Public Health
JF - Archives of Public Health
ER -