Hearing is a vital sense that helps us to communicate, navigate, and experience the world around us. As parents, we must ensure that our childrens hearing is protected and kept healthy.
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With infants, it can be challenging to know how to protect their hearing from loud noises that can damage it. This article will provide five proven ways to protect your childs hearing with infant ear protection.
Well discuss how you can protect your childs hearing with ear protection and the best methods for using them. Well also discuss the potential risks of not using infant ear protection and the importance of monitoring the sound volume around your infant.
Finally, well look at the potential long-term effects of noise-induced hearing loss and what parents can do to ensure their childrens hearing stays healthy.
By the end of this article, parents will have the knowledge and resources needed to protect their infants hearing with the proper ear protection.
In the article well discuss why children are more sensitive to loud sounds than we are, what sound levels are safe, common culprits risking hearing damage, how to protect your babys hearing PLUS the importance of newborn hearing screening and not creating anxiety around sounds.
Loud sounds are even louder for babies and kids.
Infants and young children are more sensitive to loud noises than adults are because the ear canal is smaller in children, and the sound pressure that is generated in the ears is greater compared to adults. In other words, loud sounds are even louder for kids.
What decibel level is safe for my baby/child?
Most audiologists will recommend hearing protection for noise exposure or sounds louder than 85 decibels, and government guidelines mandate that employees not be exposed to noise of 85 decibels or louder for longer than eight hours.
But its not a hard line.
Consistent sounds over, say, 80 decibels could also be damaging.
It is important to limit both the intensity and duration of noise.
My newborn seems to be completely undisturbed by loud sounds
One thing that surprises most new parents is that babies can be incredibly oblivious to loud noises when they first arrive home.
You can take a newborn to a loud restaurant or rock concert, and theyll probably sleep soundly, despite the noise. Theyll also sleep in a central living area with full light and the bustle of a busy home.
This is because babies are born relatively insensitive initially. This helps to numb the discomfort of the birthing process for babies, and allows them to concentrate on establishing feeds and gaining weight.
By 34 weeks, this insensitivity begins to wane and babies wake up, becoming more alert and unsettled by external stimuli.
Its really important in the first few weeks even if your baby is completely insensitive to sound you still protect their little ears.
How do I know how loud something is?
There are apps on your that can measure the decibel level, but as a general guide:
060 dB, which would be things like conversational speech, nature sounds, or noise in your bedroom or living room.
6090 dB, which are things like street traffic, heavy trucks or a live concert.
anything above 90 dB and would include things like alarms, jackhammers or a jet engine.
Possible hearing hazards for babies & children
Noise induced hearing loss can more often than not be avoided some common culprits to look out for are:
Events such as festivals, sports events or a loud concert
These you have no control over the sound so I highly recommend hearing protection if you take your babies or kids
Loud toys:
This advice will benefit you and you kids.
Some noise making toys are INSANELY loud (and annoying)
Because children play with toys close to their face 80-90 dB noises can be damaging
Test toys that make noise before you buy them, if any youre given a toy that makes excessively loud sounds simply take the batteries out
Television/radio/music volume
Our sounds systems have incredible capacity in both cars and homes now, be conscious of what volume you set yours at
Firework displays
The closer you are the louder theyll be there are regulations on how close crowds can be
If youre in the thick of things always take hearing protection for kids
White noise sleep machine
For more Best Hearing Protection for Babiesinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.
Im a HUGE fan of white noise so this isnt meant to be alarmist
BUT youll probably find the loudest setting on the machine isnt a safe level to leave on for continuous play for all sleeps.
Simply work out what the safe volume is and dont put it right next to your babys head.
Household appliances (vacuum, hair dryer, blender, coffee grinders)
You may find your kids are far more sensitive to these than you are (remember loud noises are louder for kids) so be conscious when you use them and when avoidable not right next to them.
What ear protection should I use to protect my childs hearing?
Earplugs are not recommended for infants, toddlers or very young children, as they are small enough to present a choking hazard.
For babys I recommend ear muffs there are lots of cute options available with softer adjustable (wahable) bands for babies and more robust headbands for older kids.
Noise cancelling headphones for babies and children will be measured with a NRR (Noise Reduction Rating) each jurisdiction will have safety standards these products need to adhere to whatever brand you pick make sure they are compliant with these standards.
To protect hearing older children can use ear putty or appropriatesized ear plugs as hearing protectors.
Avoid creating anxiety over sound(s):
We want to ensure that as our babies grow, we dont make our children anxious about noise.
Be conscious of loud sounds and always endeavor to protect your childs ears in noisy environments but dont create unnecessary panic or anxiety around them always create an environment of calm (even when its loud).
Healthy hearing habits is what we want to instill in families to protect our kids and our own hearing.
Newborn hearing screening in Australia
All states and territories across Australia offer newborn hearing screening programs in your babys first weeks of life, while sometimes daunting for parents these are really important as we know early detection hearing loss detection improves outcomes.
Significant hearing loss, if undetected early, can lead to speech and language delay.
Early detection of hearing loss and appropriate management allows families to make decisions about the intervention services that are best for their babys needs and leads to better speech and language and educational outcomes for the child.
Depending on where you live, the newborn hearing screen will usually involve a non-invasive test performed by a specialised trained nurse with a parents consent.
The screen will most likely be completed at the mothers bedside while the baby is asleep (in hospital) or at a follow up outpatient appointment
The screen uses standard technology (Automated Auditory Brainstem Response AABR)
Several small pads are placed gently on your babys head and a soft earphone is lightly placed over each ear.
Soft clicking sounds will then play into your babys ears and their responses to these sounds are recorded.
The result is known immediately and will be either a pass or a refer
indicates that your baby hears at levels required for normal speech and language development at the time of the screen,
means your baby will need to have a second screening test
A refer result can be caused by a number of things:
your baby was unsettled during the screen
there may have been background noise during the screen
your baby may have fluid or a temporary blockage in the ear after birth
a small number of babies may have a temporary or permanent hearing loss.
The degree of loss can vary from mild through to profound.
If the second test also returns a refer result, they will be referred to an audiologist for further tests. If your baby is identified as requiring audiology follow up you will be fully supported through the process of diagnosis and intervention by the relevant support services in your state.
Note: A small number of babies may pass the screen, but have known risk factors for types of hearing loss which take longer to appear. If this is the case, your baby will be offered a hearing test with an audiologist sometime before their first birthday.
Monitoring our childrens hearing goes beyond the newborn screening:
Even if your baby passes the newborn hearing screen, our hearing can change over time. It is important to continue to protect your childs hearing and to monitor your childs hearing and speech as they grow and discuss any concerns with your GP or Paediatrician.
Beyond exposure to loud sounds causes of hearing problems in children include otitis media (infection of the middle ear), genetic disorders, and certain diseases (such as meningitis).
You can get your childs hearing checked at any time if you are concerned with a referral to an audiologist.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Kidly Ear Defenders. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.