The acoustic environment of animals and humans has never been quiet, encompassing all sounds, from natural to those made by humans. The effect of sound on physiology and development starts before birth, which is why a world that grows increasingly more noisy, with loud outdoor entertainment, construction, and traffic, is a concern. On page 475 of this issue, Meillère et al. (1) report that exposure of birds that are in the egg to moderate levels of noise can lead to developmental problems, amounting to increased mortality and reduced life-time reproductive success. Such noisy conditions at the beginning of acoustic life may affect behavioral and cognitive development in many more species. Physiological stress and auditory masking before birth can have potentially lasting and severe consequences later in life.

中文翻译：

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健康的生命开始于出生前

动物和人类的声学环境从来都不是安静的，涵盖了从自然声音到人类发出的所有声音。声音对生理和发育的影响在出生前就开始了，这就是为什么一个越来越嘈杂、户外娱乐、建筑和交通吵闹的世界令人担忧。在本期第 475 页，Meillère等人。 ( 1 ) 报告称，蛋中的鸟类暴露于中等水平的噪音会导致发育问题，导致死亡率增加和终生繁殖成功率降低。声学生命开始时的这种嘈杂环境可能会影响更多物种的行为和认知发展。出生前的生理压力和听觉掩蔽可能会对以后的生活产生潜在的持久和严重的后果。