Holiday Health Alert: Noisy Toys Can Cause Hearing Loss

December 2, 2024

As the holiday shopping season kicks into high gear, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is encouraging families to pay attention to the volume of any toy or other product that they intend to purchase for their child. Doing so can help prevent permanent hearing loss.

"Some of the most popular presents for children can get extraordinarily loud-to the point that they can actually cause irreversible hearing damage if precautions aren't taken," explains Tena McNamara, AuD, CCC-A/SLP, 2024 ASHA President. "When tackling those holiday wish lists, we want families to also think about what a gift their child's hearing is-and how important it is to protect that gift."

Hearing Loss in Children

An estimated 12.5% of children and adolescents ages 6-19 years in the United States have hearing loss from exposure to loud noise, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This type of hearing loss is called noise-induced hearing loss. It occurs when someone is exposed to sounds that are too loud-for too long. The louder the sound, the less time it takes to damage a person's hearing. Children in particular are at risk because of their smaller ear canals and developing auditory system.

A safe volume level for kids is generally 70-75 dBA (which stands for "A-weighted decibels"), but past independent testing has shown that some toys are much louder. Despite warnings from the American Academy of Pediatrics about the rising threat of noise-induced hearing loss in children, U.S. regulatory changes that went into effect in April 2024 actually allow an increase in volume for certain toys, from a maximum of 85 dBA to the a new maximum of 94 dBA. This is as loud as a kitchen blender or a power mower-a level considered dangerous to hearing if a person is not wearing any hearing protection, such as earplugs or earmuffs.

Similarly, earbuds and headphones that remain popular choices for teenagers (as well as younger children and adults) can reach a volume level beyond 100 dBA. The World Health Organization (WHO) has been sounding the alarm on the danger posed by loud personal listening devices since 2015, estimating that more than 1 billion people ages 12-35 years could develop hearing loss. Earlier this year, ASHA and WHO spotlighted the risk that loud personal listening devices pose to video gamers.

Ten Tips for Families

ASHA offers the following advice to help protect children's hearing:

1. Choose quiet toys-no batteries or charging required. A toy doesn't need to make noise to be entertaining. Books, puzzles, art supplies, blocks and building toys, and dolls and action figures are all great options.
2. Do your research. Check customer reviews for any mention of the volume as well as the product description to see if it addresses the noise level.
3. Test it out. If you're buying a product in the store, push the buttons and listen for yourself. If it's too loud for you, then it's too loud for your child-especially since children often hold toys close to their faces. For a more scientific approach, you can use a sound-level meter app on your smartphone to measure the noise level.
4. Make some quick fixes. If the toy is already in your home, put masking tape over the toy's speaker. This does a surprisingly good job of reducing the sound level. You can also take the batteries out of a product.
5. Be mindful about where you place toys. Don't put a noisy object right next to a baby's head. Even if the loud toy causes them discomfort, they may not yet have the physical ability to move the toy themselves or to move their body away from it. Also, be careful with white noise and sound machines. Keep the volume down (ideally, 50 dBA or lower), and place machines across the room from the crib-not attached to or next to it.
6. Look for products with volume-control features. Some headphones and other products allow parents to set a maximum volume level-or they have other volume-control features. These features are a good start, but they aren't perfect solutions. You can't always lock these settings, and children may figure out how to change them.
7. Teach kids to appreciate their hearing. Talk to children (elementary aged and older) about why it's important to protect their hearing: By doing so, they can enjoy their music, shows, and entertainment for years to come.
8. Teach kids how to listen safely. Advise kids to keep the volume to half level and to take listening breaks when using earbuds and headphones, video game consoles, and other loud products.
9. Trust your instincts. Most adults can tell when something is too loud. Can you hear your child's toy clearly from the next room? Can you identify the song they're listening to even though they have headphones on? If so, your instinct is right: It's too loud.
10. Protect your own Be a good role model, and follow your own safe listening advice. Actions speak volumes over simply telling a child to protect their ears.

Identify the Signs of Hearing Loss in Children

Hearing plays an important role in speech and language development, social interactions, and learning and academic achievement. "Even a slight hearing loss can affect a child's success in each of these areas when it isn't addressed," McNamara said. "That's why it's so critical to help children protect their hearing- and to learn the signs of hearing loss so it can be detected early if it does occur."

If you notice your child doing any of the following, ASHA recommends a hearing evaluation from a certified audiologist:

• turning the television volume up to a level that others find uncomfortable
• having difficulty following or understanding instructions
• complaining about ringing, buzzing, or roaring in their ears
• having difficulties in school or socially that can't be otherwise explained

For more information, visit www.IdentifytheSigns.org or www.asha.org/public/.

About the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
ASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for 234,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology assistants; and students. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing and balance disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment, including hearing aids. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) identify, assess, and treat speech, language, and swallowing disorders.