"We want consumers to be aware of what is out there," said Julee Sylvester, director of public relations for the Sight and Hearing Association in St. Paul, Minn.

Of 15 toys tested by the Sight and Hearing Association in its 9th Annual Noisy Toys survey, 12 of them measured at more than 100 decibels, the equivalent of the noise made by a motorcycle or chain saw. Those toys include books, musical toys and toys with buttons.

While many of the toys are loud, immediate hearing loss will not occur, Sylvester said. "These kinds of things happen over time, and it depends on how long the child will play with the toy."

A child who plays with a toy that measures 100 decibels can play with it for 15 minutes at a time before long-term hearing loss occurs.

The loudest toy tested was SRM Entertainment's Power Gear Neo Fazer, at 116 decibels. A toy this loud reduces a child's play time to 15 seconds before there is a danger of hearing loss.

Noise at this level is like taking your child to a musical performance, Sylvester said.

Adults often don't think about noise proximity when buying toys for children, Sylvester said. Adults' arms are much longer than those of babies and children. On average, a child will hold a toy within 10 inches or directly next to its ear, she said.

"We just want people to be sensible about it (buying toys)," she said. "We try to focus a lot on children and how they can prevent hearing loss when they get older."

Before 2004, there were no regulations on noise levels for children's toys. Now, the Consumer Products Safety Commission has some voluntary regulations in place.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has mandated hearing protection for factory or construction sites with noise levels in excess of 85 decibels. All 15 toys that were tested by the Sight and Hearing Association measured above this level.

The U.S. Public Interest Research Group has also taken an interest in the noise level of toys.

"Toymakers can make quieter toys without compromising quality," said Alison Cassady, U.S. PIRG research director. "If it makes your ear drum move a little bit, it is probably too loud for your child."

Sylvester offered a tip to parents and toy buyers: For those toys children just love, parents can put a piece of clear packing tape over the speaker to muffle the sound.

While the 21st Annual Toy Safety Survey by the U.S. PIRG looked at noise levels, Cassady's group also identified three other hazards to look out for: magnets, choking hazards and potentially toxic chemicals.

Magnetic toys were a focus this year because of recent problems. If more than one is magnet is swallowed, they can attract one another, causing injury to a child that often requires emergency treatment. Last Thanksgiving, a boy in Washington state died after swallowing some pieces of Magnetix.

"These are a new class of strong magnets," Cassady said. "They can cause intestinal perforation, or even death."

Cassady points out that because many toys are now manufactured in Asia, stronger magnetics are cheaper and more common at toy stores.

The U.S. PIRG report also noted that choking hazards cause more deaths than any other toy-related injury each year.

"Toddlers put everything in their mouths," Cassady said. "Even one toy-related death is too many."

Some of the toys that made the list are the Kid Connection Mini Activity Cube; You & Me Wintertime Baby; Animal Pal Books; and Magnetic Letters, Numbers, Shapes.

U.S. PIRG also found problems with potentially toxic toys, particularly those containing lead. The report states that lead was found in children's jewelry and in the paint of different toys.

"Many people think that lead is a thing of the past, but it isn't," Cassady said.

One of the ways parents can find out if toys have lead in them is to buy an at-home testing kit to detect lead.

Other items such as Claire's Nail Polish, Dream Girl Princess Pouch and I-Tattoo Electronic Tattoo Pen also contain potentially toxic chemicals.

Earlier this year a little boy swallowed a lead pendant and died.

Because of recent events like this, the Consumer Products Safety Commission will be proposing a ban on all products containing lead.

While the Sight and Hearing Association and U.S. PIRG have helped to initiate many changes in toy land, they say their main concern is to educate people.

"Shoppers should examine all toys carefully for hidden dangers before they make a purchase this holiday season," Cassady said.

For more information, visit the Web sites www.sightandhearing.org or www.uspirg.org.

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650215273,00.html