How can I protect my baby's hearing?

29 Jul.,2024

 

9 Tips to Protect Your Child's Hearing

1. Use hearing protection on infants and young children in noisy environments. Ear muffs are a great way to protect your child's hearing when he or she is exposed to noise as a very young child. Whether it is a sporting event, concert, or the movie theater, loud sounds can be damaging to young ears. Infant ear muffs are a safe and effective way to protect your babies ears from potential auditory damage. Most ear muffs are expandable which allows for years of use for children into toddlerhood and childhood.

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2. Monitor the volume of electronic devices. Kids often cannot self regulate the volume of what they are listening to. It is important for parents to set the volume level and not let it exceed a certain volume level. Some devices allow you as the parent to set the maximum volume. If you can hear the sound from the earbud or headphone while the child is wearing it, it's too loud.


3. Limit time exposed to loud noise. The more time spent in loud noise, the more damage it can cause. When it comes to electronic devices, limit the child's exposure time to ensure the ears are not being over exposed to noise. 


4. Create good hearing protection habits. Instruct the child to wear hearing protection consistently and enforce hearing protection rules from the start. Normalize wearing ear plugs or ear muffs in noisy places to encourage hearing health.


5. Know the facts about earbuds and headphones. Headphones are not always safer than earbuds. It is a common misconception that headphones don&#;t do as much damage as ear buds, and this is not true. Both types of hearing devices can cause damage if loud enough. Noise canceling headphones are sometimes used as a safer option, as they can eliminate noise that sometimes causes listeners to turn up the volume to hear over the noise. Although they still can reach very high volumes, this can be used to keep children from wanting higher volumes.


6. Be a positive hearing protection example. Show your child that it is important to you to protect your hearing and they will do the same. Turn down the volume of your TV or radio in the car to a safe level.


7. Use a sound level meter app to help judge environmental sounds. Sound level meter apps are not regulated, so they may not always be 100% accurate, but they can still be a helpful tool in gauging if sounds are too loud. Use them to measure the TV, sound machines in a child's room, music, gyms, daycares, or classrooms.


8. Educate yourself and your child on hearing health. Noise exposure causes hearing loss. Know what a healthy volume is and teach children the importance of protecting their own hearing. Early hearing protection use will help preserve your child&#;s hearing in the future. They will thank you down the road for protecting their hearing.

9. Obtain a baseline hearing test. It's never too early for a hearing exam. Whether you simply want a hearing baseline or if you have hearing concerns, it's always a good idea to reach out to an audiologist and have your child's hearing checked.

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For more Best Hearing Protection for Babiesinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

Madison Braun, AuD

How to Protect Your Baby's Hearing

Page Content

&#;&#;&#;Growing ears of babies and toddlers are susceptible to damage. Ears and hearing develop significantly in the first few years after birth. Providing hearing protection, especially at a young age, helps to ensure optimal hearing as your child grows.

Loud Sounds Are Even Louder for Kids

Infants and young children are more sensitive to loud noises than adults are. Because the ear canal is smaller in children, the sound pressure that is generated in the ears is greater compared to adults. In other words, loud sounds are even louder for kids.

How Loud is Too Loud?

Hearing damage due to noise exposure is permanent and cumulative. It is important to monitor your child&#;s surroundings for noise exposure that exceeds recommended levels. Sounds are measured in decibels (dB). Safe sound levels vary based on the duration exposure. In general, noises softer than 80 dB will not damage hearing unless the exposure lasts for several hours.

Possible Hearing Hazards for Children

  • Loud toys
  • Television volume
  • Events such as festivals, sports events, concerts
  • Firework displays
  • White noise sleep machines
  • Household appliances (vacuum, hair dryer, blender)

Toys

Noise-making toys are popular. Some of these toys can produce sounds in excess of 120 dB. If possible, listen to toys before purchasing to see if the sounds are too loud. Remove the batteries from toys with excessive noise levels. Because children play with toys much closer to their faces and ears, even sounds in the 80-90 dB range can be damaging.

White Noise Sleep Machines

The amount of time an infant is exposed to sound is important. If you&#;re using an infant sleep machine, test the sound output before leaving it in a room with a sleeping child, and use the lowest volume setting possible. Additionally, parents should place the machine as far from the baby&#;s crib or bed as possible.

Ways to Protect Infant Hearing

Ear Muffs or Noise Cancelling Headphones

 

A simple internet search will show numerous vendors with earmuffs and noise cancelling headphones for babies and children. These are small enough to fit snugly on a child&#;s head.

Earplugs (Not Recommended for Infants or Young Children)

Earplugs are not recommended for infants, toddlers or very young children, as they are small enough to present a choking hazard. Older children can use ear putty or appropriate sized ear plugs to protect hearing.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Kidly Ear Defenders.

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