Protect Young Ears From Damaging Noise
November 26, 2005 | Ears, Nose, Throat/Speech and Hearing
If you’re shopping for children this year, hearing experts advise you to consider the noise exposure that comes with certain toys and portable stereos.
Like Poo bear to a pot of honey, young children are drawn to toys that sing to them, whirl for them, rattle or pop for them. Sometimes, it seems, the louder, the better.
But can exposure to noisy toys actually dangerous? The University of Minnesota’s sight and hearing organization says yes and found seven of 14 noisy toys tested registered over 100 decibels. That’s louder than a chainsaw.
The Home Depot Light and Sound Grinder is on the list. So is Barbie’s “Jam with Me” electric guitar and “Play a Song” Dora the Explorer adventure song book.
Dr. Scott Manning, an ear nose and throat specialist at Seattle’s Children’s Hospital tested some of the toys for KING 5. He agreed that they are noisy but he believes they are not dangerously noisy. They also did not test as loud on his meter.
“So this toy gets to 95 decibels, but it turns itself off pretty quickly,” Manning said. “It’s not likely something someone would put next to their ear for hours and hours, so I don’t think it would be too much of a problem.”
Dr. Manning believes the greater problem for young ears is portable stereos and the tiny in-the ear headphones that amplify music against the eardrum. Both kids and adults listen for hours. Volume plus length of noise exposure is what leads to hearing loss.
He says using larger headphones make listening a lot safer.
“The bigger the better,” Manning said. “The more you block out surrounding noise, the lower you’re going to have your volume set. That’s better safety long term.”
Because hearing loss is cumulative, it’s never too early to protect your child’s ears. If your child is fond of a noisy toy, consider limiting the amount of time it’s used, or removing the batteries.