Noisy Toys Can Damage Children's Hearing

Noisy toys from Santa do more than shatter "peace on earth and good will toward men." They can damage your child's hearing.

"When selecting a toy, most parents are guided by the child's request, the color or the novelty. Parents assume that if a toy is in the store, it's okay. But that's not so," said Dr. Lois Sutton, a clinical assistant professor of otorhinolaryngology at Baylor College of Medicine.

Currently, only a few safety regulations address the noise levels of toys. Dr. Sutton provides the following guidelines to help with toy selection:

* If a toy makes any noise, parents should try it out before they take it home. Loud things can come in small packages, even plush toys. Test everything before you buy.

* If you have to raise your voice to be heard over the sound of the toy, if it hurts your ears or causes ringing, do not buy it.

"Remember, children don't usually play with toys the way the manufacturer intended. Sounds that may be tolerated at arm's length become dangerous when a child puts the toy to his or her ear," said Dr. Sutton.

Dr. Sutton notes that standards set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration limit the level and length of noise exposure in the workplace to 80 to 85 dBA in an 8-hour period for adults. The sensitivity pattern of human ears in decibels are measured in dBAs.

"OSHA recommends that hearing protection be worn in the workplace when loudness and exposure time exceed the standards. However, there are no standards for children," Dr. Sutton said. "Parents might be surprised that musical toys such as electric guitars, drums and horns emit sounds as loud as 120 dBA. Toy phones can measure between 123 to 129 dBA, and toys that produce firearm sounds can measure 150 dBA one foot away from the noise source."

Dr. Sutton says 85 decibels is about the loudness level of city traffic while 135 decibels is the level of a jackhammer.

"Noise exposure is cumulative," Dr. Sutton said. "Constant wear-and-tear on the fragile middle and inner ear structures can cause trauma."

Over time, noise exposures begin to add up, Dr. Sutton said. "Loud may be considered cool, but we are seeing more and more high school students who suffer from hearing problems," she said. "Loud noise levels can become a habit."

Dr. Sutton urges parents to set limits.

"The louder the toy, the shorter the play time," she said. "And limits should include preteens and adolescents who listen to stereo systems with headphones and boom boxes with noise levels of 105 to 110 decibels. If you can hear the music when you approach a child wearing a headset, it's too loud."

Sutton encourages parents to do the entire family a favor this Christmas by shopping wisely and enjoying a "Silent Night."

- Courtesy of Baylor College of Medicine

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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