Sound Safety for New Babies: A Resource for Doulas, Nurses Worldwide
Free professional resource
Sound Safety for New Babies: A Resource for Doulas, Nurses & Family Educators
New parents are taught about car seats, safe sleep, feeding, and babywearing. Many are never taught how to think about sound exposure for babies and young children.
This page was created to help doulas, nurses, lactation educators, childbirth educators, postpartum doulas, birth workers, clinic teams, and family educators share simple, practical sound-safety education with families.
Why this belongs in new parent education
Babies cannot tell us when an environment is too loud, uncomfortable, or overwhelming. Families often bring babies to weddings, fireworks, sporting events, concerts, festivals, worship services, airports, restaurants, and older siblings' activities without realizing how intense the sound can be.
The goal is not to scare parents or tell them to stay home. The goal is to help them plan ahead with a simple framework: avoid unnecessary loud sound, add distance, take quiet breaks, and use properly fitting hearing protection when loud sound cannot be avoided.
The simple framework: Avoid. Distance. Breaks. Protect.
Avoid
Avoid unnecessary loud environments with very young babies when possible, especially impulse sounds like fireworks or sirens.
Distance
Move babies away from speakers, stages, cheering sections, fireworks, emergency vehicles, generators, and loud equipment.
Breaks
Build in quieter breaks before a baby becomes overwhelmed. A hallway, stroller walk, car break, or quiet room can help.
Protect
Use properly fitting infant hearing protection when loud sound cannot be avoided or reduced to a comfortable level.
What professionals can say to parents
Use soft, practical language that supports the parent instead of adding fear.
The quick check
"If you have to raise your voice to talk to someone close by, it may be too loud for baby."
The outing plan
"Choose a quieter spot, step out for breaks, and keep baby away from speakers, fireworks, sirens, and cheering sections."
The protection line
"When loud sound cannot be avoided, infant hearing protection can help reduce the sound reaching baby's ears."
Common loud moments to flag for families
Celebrations
- Weddings and receptions
- Family parties
- Bar/bat mitzvahs
- Community celebrations
Public events
- Fireworks and parades
- Concerts and festivals
- Sporting events
- Theaters and arenas
Everyday loud
- Airports and travel days
- Loud restaurants
- Older siblings' games
- Sirens, traffic, tools, and yard equipment
Free printable downloads
These free PDFs are ready to share with families, students, clinic teams, birth classes, and community education programs.
New Baby Sound Safety Checklist
A parent-friendly one-page checklist for loud events, celebrations, travel, and everyday sound exposure.
Download PDFSound Safety Talking Points
A professional script card for doulas, nurses, birth workers, lactation educators, and family educators.
Download PDFLoud Outing Planning Guide
A simple planning sheet for weddings, fireworks, concerts, sports, festivals, travel, and other loud moments.
Download PDFEducator Mini Toolkit
A resource pathway for clinics, birth classes, postpartum programs, community partners, and educator toolkits.
Download PDFPartner education: HearO and community resources
BANZ is proud to support education-first conversations around children's hearing safety. We are also excited by the mission alignment with Sherilyn Adler and Ear Peace Foundation through the HearO book, including a digital version and future translated resources.
For community partners, doulas, nurses, and educators, child-friendly hearing-safety materials can help extend this message beyond a product conversation and into everyday family education.
Global education support
For nurses, doulas & new-family care educators worldwide
From our family to yours — thank you for helping care for babies, parents, and new families. BANZ® created this resource to support the people who guide families through pregnancy, birth, postpartum care, infant care, and early childhood education.
This page is designed as a free self-education and parent-support resource. It is not a CEU course, medical training, or a replacement for local clinical guidance. It is a practical way to help care professionals start simple, thoughtful conversations about sound safety before families enter loud environments.
For nurses
Use the handouts as a quick parent-education reference when families ask about loud events, travel, celebrations, sports, or sensory-sensitive moments.
For doulas
Share the planning tools with expecting and new parents as part of practical preparation for everyday outings, family events, and postpartum support.
For educators
Add the printable resources to birth classes, lactation education, parent groups, community programs, and family resource folders.
Trusted sources to review
This page is designed as a practical education bridge. Professionals should continue to rely on clinical guidance and trusted public-health resources when educating families.
Want resources for your class, clinic, or community program?
BANZ can help provide printable education materials, product information, and limited demo resources for qualified educators, nurses, birth workers, family educators, and community partners.
Contact BANZ