Exposure to Intense and Prolonged Noises During Pregnancy

Hearing is an essential element for the development of language and conditions an appropriate cognitive, psychological and social development of children. Therefore, congenital deafness represents a real public health problem, justifying the implementation of a national neonatal screening for hearing disorders in newborns. The intensity at which the fetus perceives sound at 27-29 weeks of amenorrhea (SA) is about 40 decibels (dB), it recognizes its mother's voice from the 33rd SA, and then its perception capacity evolves to the adult level at term. These data suggest that the fetus is sensitive to its sound environment from the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. The development of hearing could be damaged in case of prolonged exposure to intense noise. Studies have demonstrated an harmful effects of long and sustained exposure to noise on hearing in adults. In addition, a recent survey showed that 40% of the population of Ile-de-France felt that noise had a significant impact on their health . The effects of prolonged loud noise exposure on human fetal hearing are not fully understood and few studies have assessed the prevalence of women exposed to loud and lengthy noise in a population of postpartum women. This study aims evaluating the prevalence and the impacte of an exposure to Intense and Prolonged Noises during Pregnancy.