What sounds reach fetuses: biological and nonbiological modeling of the transmission of pure tones.

Abstract

In utero transmission of external and maternal sounds has been studied in pregnant women and in an animal model of human species, the sheep. These works, especially the most recent ones, suggest that local and environmental factors interfere in such a way that signals are attenuated in a complex manner as frequency increases. The present work investigated whether a plain rubber sphere which was filled with water could be considered as a reliable nonbiological model in a study describing the characteristics of sound transmission. A sweeping pure tone, presented externally, was measured inside the rubber sphere using a high signal-to-noise ratio experimental hydrophone. A paradigmatic three components curve was observed between 100 and 20,000 Hz. In the first component of the curve (low to midfrequencies between 100 and 1,000 Hz), the intensity of the inside signal remained stable. The second component of the curve was composed of higher frequencies with the inside pressure falling gradually, demonstrating attenuation of the external signal. The third component of the curve appeared above a critical frequency, the value of which depended on several model and environment parameters. In this component, a series of rapid peaks and drops of the inside high frequency pressure was observed, indicating the presence of resonance systems. Analyses were carried out on the effects of several acoustical parameters, including: the size of the sphere, the location of the hydrophone in the sphere, the distance between the signal source and the hydrophone, the location of the external reference microphone, and the acoustical structure of the environment. These parameters allowed for the definition of their respective roles in the in-utero transmission of external sounds. These data were then compared with measurements performed within a biological model--ewes--under close acoustical settings. The comparisons confirmed the validity of the measurements, suggesting that the model may be useful in studies of sound transmission in utero.