Loud, louder, hearing damage: How parents can choose the right toys

The toy your child wants can't do anything except make loud noises? Then you probably shouldn't buy it. – Photo: Gerhard G., via Pixabay

The toy your child wants can't do anything except make loud noises? Then you probably shouldn't buy it. A child's ears are sensitive to noise, and in the worst case scenario the wrong toy can result in permanent damage.

A seemingly harmless toy like a squeaky rubber duck or a whistle can reach up to 130 decibels in the immediate vicinity of the ear. That's how loud a jet plane or a rock concert gets.

Since even product certifications don't cover everything when it comes to volume level, parents should try out toys themselves before buying them or ask for a demonstration of them in a shop.

The main thing to keep in mind: what's too loud for adults is even more so for a child's ears. Due to their smaller ear canal volume, they are much more sensitive to noise.

Protecting a child's hearing is so important because hearing impairment affects language learning and thus the child's entire development. Small children in particular cannot escape noise by themselves or let someone know when it gets too loud for them. – dpa

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