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January 18, 2005
Noisy toys may cause hearing loss in children
The toys you got for your children on Christmas may cause them hearing problems. Doctors are seeing a number increase of children with hearing loss. The American Medical Association say almost 15-percent of children are showing signs of a hearing problem.
For instance, Dr. Don Worthington at IHC Hearing and Balance Center tested a piano toy with a decibel meter, and it showed 90+ decibels. The Sesame Street Gang also showed 90+ decibels. Some toys even exceeded 100 decibels. That's like the noise level of a vaccum cleaner or a power drill. And long exposure to loudness can cause hearing loss.
The doctor suggests that kids should always wear some kind of ear protection when dealing with noisy toys, or when they're near someone who's mowing the lawn or using loud power tools. These are one of the many factors in hearing loss.
By Alex Chu
Posted by 4HL on January 18, 2005 2:18 AM
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