How to Protect Your Baby's Hearing

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​​​Growing ears of babies and toddlers are susceptible to damage. Ears and hearing develop significantly in the first few years after birth. Providing hearing protection, especially at a young age, helps to ensure optimal hearing as your child grows.

Loud Sounds Are Even Louder for Kids

Infants and young children are more sensitive to loud noises than adults are. Because the ear canal is smaller in children, the sound pressure that is generated in the ears is greater compared to adults. In other words, loud sounds are even louder for kids.

How Loud is Too Loud?

Hearing damage due to noise exposure is permanent and cumulative. It is important to monitor your child’s surroundings for noise exposure that exceeds recommended levels. Sounds are measured in decibels (dB). Safe sound levels vary based on the duration exposure. In general, noises softer than 80 dB will not damage hearing unless the exposure lasts for several hours.

Possible Hearing Hazards for Children

• Loud toys
• Television volume
• Events such as festivals, sports events, concerts
• Firework displays
• White noise sleep machines
• Household appliances (vacuum, hair dryer, blender)

Toys

Noise-making toys are popular. Some of these toys can produce sounds in excess of 120 dB. If possible, listen to toys before purchasing to see if the sounds are too loud. Remove the batteries from toys with excessive noise levels. Because children play with toys much closer to their faces and ears, even sounds in the 80-90 dB range can be damaging.

White Noise Sleep Machines

The amount of time an infant is exposed to sound is important. If you’re using an infant sleep machine, test the sound output before leaving it in a room with a sleeping child, and use the lowest volume setting possible. Additionally, parents should place the machine as far from the baby’s crib or bed as possible.

Ways to Protect Infant Hearing

Ear Muffs or Noise Cancelling Headphones

A simple internet search will show numerous vendors with earmuffs and noise cancelling headphones for babies and children. These are small enough to fit snugly on a child’s head.

Earplugs (Not Recommended for Infants or Young Children)

Earplugs are not recommended for infants, toddlers or very young children, as they are small enough to present a choking hazard. Older children can use ear putty or appropriate sized ear plugs to protect hearing.

When I became a mom, I quickly realized that the only thing nearly as precious as my bundle of joy was how little time I suddenly had to socialize. Like many new parents, I struggled with that duality—until I started figuring out some parenting strategies that allowed me to take care of my baby while also taking care of my need for grown-up interaction.

I started devising what I call social-insurance tactics to help ensure I had as much fun as my kid. Some of these tricks were practical and obvious, like schlepping around a fully stocked diaper bag while we were out and about, hopefully avoiding the need to cut an excursion short. Others felt borderline self-indulgent: Once my kid reached toddler age, I hired a mother’s helper to assist at parties and playdates so the other parents and I could enjoy a few uninterrupted (OK, less-frequently interrupted) moments of adult conversation.

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After more than a decade of parenting, though, my most prized, pragmatic, and cost-efficient form of social insurance has been a simple pair of Muted Earmuffs. These over-ear, noise-muffling headphones for kids—a pick in our guide to the best earplugs for concerts—are cheap, comfortable, and easy to take with me wherever I go, and they’ve lasted for years.

Our pick

Muted Earmuffs

Over-ear protection for kids

Kids will love these earmuffs’ soft padding and fun designs, while adults will love the safer listening levels and lifetime build warranty.

Buying Options

$30

Amazon

One note: Amazon’s product description inaccurately says Muted Earmuffs are noise cancelling. Noise cancellation is an active system that involves electronics, whereas the Muted Earmuffs create a physical barrier that protects your kid’s ears from sound. For true noise-cancelling headphones for kids, see our guide to the best kids headphones.

Muted Earmuffs meet NRR (noise reduction rating) standards for kids, which means they capably muffle potentially damaging noise before it can inflict harm or discomfort on your child’s inner ear. Of course, many other forms of kids hearing protection do the same just as well, but the Muted Earmuffs’ user-friendliness is why I’ve recommended them to other parents time and again.

In fact, the main reason I love them is actually quite selfish: For about $25, I’ve seen an invaluable return in the form of uncancelled plans. Although an outing with kids can go awry in so many ways, these trusty earmuffs have easily reduced the number of events we’ve had to bail on.

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