Traffic noise at schools may hinder a child's memory and attentiveness

Road traffic noise outside schools may impair the development of a child's attention span and short-term memory. Previous studies have shown that noise pollution from road traffic can disrupt sleep and increase stress in adults. Meanwhile, local aircraft noise has been shown to reduce academic performance and reading comprehension in children. However, it wasn't known whether road traffic noise outside schools impacts cognitive development in children. To learn more, Maria Foraster at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health and her colleagues recruited 2680 children aged 7 to 10 from 38 schools throughout Barcelona.