Children and toys

Experts agree that toys with a noise level of 85 dBA or above held approximately 25 cm from the ear (about the length of a child’s arm) have the potential to cause damage to hearing if used for extended periods of time or held too close to the ear.

These were the findings of the largest study on noise from toys commissioned by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in 1997 (see note 2).

As young children are totally unaware of safety issues, these toys can be harmful in their hands.

McMillan PM and Kileny PR (1994) referred to the case of a 39-month-old child with previously normal hearing who was shown to have a 50 dB hearing loss six days after suffering ‘acoustic trauma’ (an immediate loss of hearing after a sudden exceptionally loud noise) from a bicycle horn that had been brought as a toy. The horn produced a peak sound of 143 dBA (see note 3).

The DTI study (see note 2) found that toys measured from 25 cm away emitted the following noise levels:

	dBA
Gun with sound effect	96.9
Talking soft toy	97.1
Musical roundabout	100.6
Toy aeroplane	106.0
Squeeze toy	108.9
Teething rattle	109.9
Electronic Pinball	118.8
Drum	125.1
Electronic megaphone	132.6
Cap gun	150.5

However, damage to hearing is not caused by sound levels alone. To prevent damage it is important to take into account both the loudness of the sounds and the amount of time the child is exposed to them. Although short blasts of sound at very high levels can cause damage straight away, most damage will be caused by extended exposure at less extreme levels.

Notes

1. docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303414
2. Lower M C, Lawton B W, Lutman M E, Davis R A, Noise from toys and its effect on hearing, Report C/CSU/4754,
   Department of Trade and Industry, London, 1997. (These are different from the British and European Standard for toys (BS EN71-1:
   2005) which measure noise levels at 50 cm from the ear.)
3. McMillan and Kileny, Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, Jan 1994 Vol 5 Issue 1, pp 7-9