The toys you just bought are really making a lot of noise and breaking your ears. But do they damage those of your children?
The answer is yes ! And yet the children adore: the crying or singing doll, the honking car, the screaming ambulance not to mention the piano which not only is deafening, but also plays terribly wrong! This is all great fun for children, but unbearable for parents! In addition, this cacophony can present a real danger to the ears of the little ones.
But are there any regulations for these sound toys?
Of course. There is a sound level that should not be exceeded. It is determined by a European standard, but which is not very severe and its limits are already very high: you must not exceed 80 decibels for a toy that can be placed next to the ear. Or 80 db corresponds to the noise of a vacuum cleaner.
For all others, the limit is set at 110 db, the equivalent of a jackhammer placed at 5 meters! And we know that children cannot help but stick these toys close to their ears!
But has this regulation tightened recently?
Yes, new, stricter and lower thresholds were imposed in July 2013. And this is good news because it is the ears of the little ones who risk toasting and permanently. Indeed, a small child does not know how to defend himself against noise and too much exposure can outright destroy his sensory cells, the hair cells of the inner ear which will not be renewed.
And more these sounds are most often compressed and we say that it is worse. Why ?
In toys, but also on the radio, television, DVDs, mp3 players, on all these media, sounds are most often compressed. This treatment consists of raising the lowest levels so that they join the highest. As a result, the listener gets used to sound without nuance and the ear becomes lazy and has great difficulty reverting to low level sounds.
What is the solution ?
Not all toys break your ears! Some remain soft and pleasant. Otherwise, difficult to go and bring back this toy; do not hesitate to discreetly lower or cut the sound level when possible, or simply remove the batteries! You will protect your children’s ears!
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