+ toys

Hearing is an essential but not necessary sense for normal development.  Language, social skills and pragmatics and learning are all strongly related to hearing.  If a child is born congenitally deaf there are many options for education and socialization in both the hearing and Deaf cultures.  If, however, a child is born with normal hearing, it is important for all caregivers to understand the need to conserve hearing and practice hearing safety, especially with respect to selecting toys for a child.

 

Children's toys are often very noisy. In some cases, they constitute a direct danger to children's hearing.  Some types of battery-driven toy guns and pistols can, when used in ordinary play, create noise between 100 to 130 dB SPL, corresponding to the noise generated by a heavy truck or of a typical rock concert. Noise from music boxes and robots (85-95 dB) can also be damaging.  In many workplaces, employees are recommended to wear hearing protection where noise levels exceed 85 dB. Noisy toys are not only a problem to children but also to parents as they often find the noise disturbing and irritating. The American Speech Language and Hearing Association, ASHA, warns that “When held directly to the ear, as children often do, a noisy toy actually exposes the ear to as much as 120 dB of sound, a damaging dose—the equivalent of a jet plane taking off. Noise at this level is painful and can result in permanent hearing loss.” ASHA’s list of noisy toys include “cap guns, talking dolls, vehicles with horns and sirens, walkie talkies, musical instruments, household toys like vacuum cleaners, and toys with cranks.

 

Parents who have normal hearing need to inspect toys for noise danger just as they would for small pieces that can be easily swallowed.” Some types of toys for children can produce sounds capable of causing permanent hearing damage. Avoid buying toys that have a warning that they should not be used close to the ear. In some cases the best solution is to replace such toys with other, less noisy ones. Children's mats or rugs are an efficient means of reducing noise in the play area. Encourage children to lower the volume on stereos and noisy computer games, especially when wearing headphones.

 

LtCol Carolyn Bennett of the Air Force Audiology Association indicates that “according to Dr. Snow of the National Institute of Deafness and Communicative Disorders, the most important message that we give our children is that noise or acoustically–induced hearing loss can begin in childhood, much earlier than originally `thought. We must teach our children to recognize the warning signs of hearing loss including diminution of hearing or fullness in the ears and tinnitus or ringing in the ears. Recognizing the symptoms is not enough; we must teach our children to prevent acoustically induced hearing loss. Noise–induced hearing loss is 100% preventable. One of the best methods of teaching is by example. When you or your child work on the car, use the lawn mower or leaf blower, use hearing protection. When using electric saws or sanders wear ear protection. When you go hunting, wear “hunters” earplugs. The rule of thumb to know if noise is hazardous—if you have to raise your voice at a distance of one foot from your listener or shout at a distance of 3 feet, the noise is hazardous.

 

The Canadian Hearing Society reports that “there are no regulations in Canada. On March 13, 1991, the Quebec Consumers’ Association (Association des Consommateurs du Quebec) presented a report to Consumer and Corporate Affairs to challenge its permissive noise level standard for toys, which they feel poses unnecessary risks to children’s hearing, and the lack of an adequate test method to assess the noise levels from toys on the Canadian market. The Quebec Consumers’ Association report to Consumer and Corporate Affairs suggests that limiting noise in the environment of the child by reducing noise levels of children’s toys would, indeed, help to reduce other negative effects of noise for children.”

Noise creates anxiety

The Canadian Hearing Society states that “excessive noise adds unnecessary stress which, in the long term, could lead to a variety of health problems: cardiovascular, immunological and digestive problems, for example. Noise could also inhibit the child’s development of language and interfere with his or her ability to learn. Claire Truchon-Gagnon and Raymond Hetu of the University of Montreal measured noise levels in seven-day care centres and found that four of them presented noise levels above the World Health Organization safety limit of 75 decibels. Workers in the centres suggested that the noise also increased the children’s agitation and nervousness and added to their irritability and aggressiveness.”

 

Care-givers including parents, educators, nurses, and doctors need to understand the risk before we can avoid the dangers of excessive recreational noise for our children. A simple approach is to increase awareness with your family, friends and child and adults regularly interacting with your child; seeking regular hearing screenings for your child if you think there is a risk of excessive exposure; and by setting a better example: wear hearing protection when you’re in noise and reduce noise levels around you to set a good example for kids who look to you for guidance.

 

The American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) online resource; http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/disorders/noisy_toys.htm

The Canadian Hearing Society (CHS) online resource; http://www.chs.ca/info/noise/noisytoys.html

LtCol Carolyn Bennett, AFAA Newsletter, Volume 14, Number 1e; December 2001

PETER M. RABINOWITZ, M.D., M.P.H., Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, American Family Physician, May 2000

Yaremchuk K, Dickson L, Burk K, Shivapuja BG. Noise level analysis of commercially available toys. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 1997;41:187-97.