is white noise recommended for babies?

White noise is commonly used to soothe babies and help them sleep, but prolonged exposure may pose developmental concerns; if choosing a sound, pink noise may be preferable, though evidence specific to babies is not definitive. 1 2

• Prolonged exposure and auditory maps: Animal studies found that continuous white noise could disrupt the brain’s tonotopic maps—the organized representation of sound frequencies—and delay auditory-cortex maturation. The effect of using a noise machine only at night in human infants remains uncertain. 3 4
• Possible effects on sound and speech: The concern is that disrupted auditory development could make sound processing less precise and potentially affect speech development; this is a possibility, not an established outcome in human babies. 5
• Pink noise as an alternative: Pink noise has a different frequency profile from white noise. It was suggested as an option to consider for a young child’s sleeping environment, but the discussion does not establish that it is safer for babies. 6