Some toys could damage your child's hearing

UCI Health otolaryngologist Dr. Hamid Djalilian and his team tested more than two dozen popular toys to determine which had the highest maximum sound levels.

“These toys are not inherently dangerous simply because they can be loud,” Djalilian said. “However, many can damage a child’s hearing if not used properly.”

Djalilian suggests a couple of things parents can do keep down the volume on toys:

• Put occlusive tape or super glue over the speaker to mute the sound
• Put tape over the volume control, preventing your child from increasing the volume to unsafe levels

See the UCI Health Live Well blog for more tips to protect your child’s hearing. 

Sound is measured in decibels (dB). Noise-induced hearing loss can result from a single exposure to a very loud sound (120 dB or more), or by listening to loud noises at or above 85 dB for an extended period of time.