7-Month-Old Baby Sensitive To Loud Sounds: Reasons & Remedies

Can a baby be more or less sound-sensitive? And why is this? The baby in this Q&A is scared of many types of noises and sounds.

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Mom’s Question:

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My baby is seven months old and has always been so sensitive to loud noise.

When we go to church, clapping scares him to death, or even someone coughing, laughing, or sneezing makes him jump out of his skin.

When we go to Walmart, the buggies’ rattling also scares him and makes him cry…

Is this normal, or do I have a sound-sensitive baby??? And what can I do about it?

Kayla Spears

Baby Sensitive to Loud Sounds – Reasons And Remedies

I have to agree; I do think your baby is sensitive to sound.

In my experience, the babies I have come across that seem to be sound sensitive are also very alert, notice absolutely everything around them, learn things quickly, and have an incredible memory for things you won’t even realize they have picked up. (I don’t have scientific proof for this, though!)

When you think about it, everything is vibration; even our bodies are billions of tiny atoms vibrating incredibly fast, and our eardrums are designed as sensitive receivers. What the average person hears normally can be painful for those who are more sensitive to loud sounds. Babies can become overloaded with stimulation, and tiredness can make sound sensitivity more problematic.

You didn’t say if your little boy is on solids yet. There is a link between a lack of magnesium and sound sensitivity. There is also a link between D vitamin deficiency and magnesium deficiency, so make sure your baby eats enough D vitamins and spends a lot of time outdoors in the fresh air.

I would doubt you are giving him artificial sweeteners or highly processed foods, but some babies have had a lot of medicines or vitamins that contain aspartame to sweeten, and that can also affect hearing.

If you are feeding solids to your baby, try high-magnesium foods such as beans and vegetables, and use organic food when possible. Read the labels of processed foods and avoid additives.

The AIT Institute has a good summary of medical reasons for sound hypersensitivity here. (Opens in new window)

Just remember that babies (and adults) can be sensitive to sounds without anything being wrong at all! Also, at seven months, many babies find the whole world quite frightening, and all they want and need is to be close to mom and dad.

It is impossible to avoid loud noises, but if you try to make a game of bang-bang, crash-crash type noises, then you might be able to switch his attentions to fun instead of fright.

Good luck with your little boy; he is such a cutie! By all means, visit your doctor for other recommendations.
Paula

More On 7-Month-Old Babies’ Development

• 7 Month Baby Crying When Seeing New Faces
• 7 Month Baby Cries During Diaper Change
• 7 Month Baby Development Milestones And Games To Play

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Paula Dennholt

Paula Dennholt founded Easy Baby Life in 2006 and has been a passionate parenting and pregnancy writer since then. Her parenting approach and writing are based on studies in cognitive-behavioral models and therapy for children and her experience as a mother and stepmother. Life as a parent has convinced her of how crucial it is to put relationships before rules. She strongly believes in positive parenting and a science-based approach.

Paula cooperates with a team of pediatricians who assist in reviewing and writing articles.