10 Sounds That Almost Always Frighten Infants

Infants and newborns have more sensitive hearing than their adult counterparts, and are often frightened of sudden, loud noises. Here are a few of the everyday sounds your infant may encounter and become frightened by.

1. Barking Dogs – The barking of a dog can be very loud, as well as be perceived as a threatening sound by older infants. For parents with very vocal dogs and a young infant, this can be a frustrating time; thankfully, most babies will grow out of this fear as they become accustomed to it.
2. Slamming Doors – A slamming door can startle an infant, causing them to become upset. Older children in the household should be made to understand that slamming the door will cause their sibling to become frightened and cry, which may help them remember to close doors gently.
3. Yelling – Yelling can often go hand in hand with slamming doors and barking dogs; children come home from school full of energy and shouting, then slam the door on their way in which causes the dog to bark and ultimately, the baby to cry hysterically.
4. A Running Blender – The rumbling, grating noise of a running blender can be very scary to little ones, especially if there’s ice inside the carafe that contributes a grinding sound.
5. Smoke Alarms – The high pitch and extreme volume of a smoke alarm can send an infant into hysterics, as any distracted mom with a forgotten pan on the stove can attest.
6. Loud Knocking at the Door – Because babies lack the cognitive ability to understand where a sound is coming from and what it means, the loud noise of a visitor pounding at the door can cause them to become upset.
7. Car Horns – Because the sounds of driving can often lull an infant to sleep, many parents will take a fussy baby for a ride until they drop off. Unfortunately, the crying may become worse if an impatient driver leans on their car horn.
8. Emergency Sirens – Parents who live near a police or fire station should steel themselves for quite a bit of crying in the first months of your newborn’s life; the shrill sounds will almost always cause an infant to panic.
9. Fireworks – Young toddlers may love the sight of colorful fireworks exploding into the night sky, but your infant’s not-yet-developed eyes won’t be able to focus on them, and the sounds are likely to move them to terror.
10. Cheering and Clapping – New dads who are sports fans tend to quickly learn that the shouting and cheering they’ve always done to celebrate a great play will scare the baby.

All babies are different, so the things that cause hysterics in one child may not faze another in the slightest. First time parents should keep in mind that any loud or sudden noise has the potential to frighten an infant, and remember that most grow out of this stage by toddlerhood.