ReviewNoise & health
Applications of White Noise in Maternal and Neonatal Care: A Comprehensive Review on Sleep, Stress, and Pain Outcomes.
Review in Noise & health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Review
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
This review aimed to systematically synthesize the current literature on the physiological and psychological effects of white noise on sleep quality, stress levels, and pain perception in both mothers and newborns. The primary objective was to critically examine existing evidence on the use of white noise in maternal and neonatal care interventions. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across major electronic databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, using keywords such as "white noise," "sleep," "stress," and "pain." After screening titles, abstracts, and full texts according to the selection criteria, 12 articles were selected for critical review. Findings from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) consistently indicate that white noise can shorten sleep latency, improve sleep onset, and reduce pain perception in both mothers and newborns. Additional randomized studies demonstrated benefits for physiological indicators, such as heart rate variability and oxygen saturation, particularly in neonatal intensive care settings. In contrast, evidence from reviews and expert opinions highlights potential risks associated with prolonged or high-intensity white noise exposure, including possible hearing impairment, negative impacts on cognitive functions, and neurodevelopmental delays. These differences highlight the importance of interpreting findings in light of the study design and methodological rigor. White noise presents itself as a practical, low-cost, non-invasive, and easily implementable method for improving maternal and neonatal care outcomes, particularly in sleep, stress, and pain management, provided it is applied within safe sound levels. Nevertheless, its effectiveness may vary across individuals and contexts. Future directions should focus on large-sample, long-term RCTs to establish definitive evidence and to differentiate between short-term benefits and potential long-term harms. The development of standardized protocols with evidence-based safety thresholds will be crucial in maximizing therapeutic benefits while minimizing risks.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.