How to Protect a Child's Hearing

Exposure to the occasional loud noise does not typically cause hearing loss. The real concern is the loud sounds -- or combination of loud sounds -- that your child is exposed to on a regular basis, starting from the time he is in the womb. Perhaps your kiddo will challenge you on living the quiet life as he gets older. Many kids, after all, like to listen to their MP3 players at a high volume. As he gets older and his hearing is still as good as it was when he was a youngster, he might just thank you for it.

Things You'll Need

  • Decibel monitor
  • Wall-to-wall carpet
  • Drapes
  • Acoustically treated tiles
  • Noise-reducing windows
  • New air conditions
  • New ventilation systems
  • Earplugs or earmuffs

Instructions

    • 1

      Recognize the signs of hearing problems at an early age. If, for example, your 8 to 12 month old does not turn her head toward familiar sounds, that could indicate a problem. If by age 18 months she is not speaking single words, she might have a hearing issue.

    • 2

      Go to your child's pediatric appointments and talk with the pediatrician about any developmental issues with him. Also, have his hearing screened on a yearly basis. Some schools provide this service.

    • 3

      Listen for constant or regular sounds in your child's home, school, day care or other places he frequents. For example, constant noises could be coming from an air conditioner, computer, nearby construction site or busy road. In general, any constant sound that interrupts conversations is too high. Use a decibel monitor, if possible, to accurately measure how loud the sounds are. Exposure to noise levels higher than 85 decibels for more than eight hours on a regular basis can lead to hearing loss, according to the American Hearing Research Foundation.

    • 4

      Reduce those constant loud noise levels in the home by closing the windows, installing wall-to-wall carpet, adding thick drapes, installing tiles that are acoustically treated and replacing windows with ones designed to limit outdoor noise. Also, replace old air conditions and ventilation systems. If the constant, loud noises are coming from other locations, such as your child's day care, suggest these same noise reduction techniques to those in charge.

    • 5

      Put protective earplugs or earmuffs in your child's ears when he is exposed to occasional loud noises, such as fireworks, motorcycle parades, air shows and lawn mowers. While these might not cause hearing loss, they can be painful for your child.

    • 6

      Avoid toys that are extremely loud. Many toys play music, beep, squeak and talk at decibels that are beyond acceptable, with no way to change the volume.

    • 7

      Lower the volume of the music and television your child is exposed to. If you can't hold a conversation with these devices on, they're too loud. If your child is wearing earphones while listening to music, other people should not be able to hear it. If they can, the music is too loud. You can sometimes set a volume limit for your child's personal devices. Look in the "Settings" function for such control.

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