![]() But in some of these cases, the decibel levels come close enough or exceed the suitable level to avoid potential damage to an infant's hearing. When you think of these sounds, they don't come across as very loud at first. Your washing machine can get up to 70 decibels when running. ![]() Typical conversation between two people can get to around 50-55 decibels. To put that level of noise into some kind of perspective, the hum of your refrigerator is 40 decibels and an alarm clock can be around 80 decibels. Studies have determined that introduction of intermittent stimuli at levels higher than 50 decibels in an otherwise silent room can have a detrimental impact on the sleep patterns of an infant. Hospital nurseries will typically limit continuous noise to under 50 decibels. This may disturb sleep and could possibly damage hearing over time. Something that may not sound very loud may actually have a decibel level that is far greater than you may think, particularly through exposure to that sound for extended lengths of time. What are Safe Decibel Levels for Infants?ĭecibel levels are measured in a way that is logarithmic and that can make loudness a deceptive concept. The hearing nerve is also at risk of damage at a young age and hearing loss may be experienced suddenly or gradually over the long-term, resulting in impairment that could last for weeks, years, or on a permanent basis. The reason is due to a small child's ear canals are still developing and the auditory senses are extremely sensitive to noises in general, much less excessively loud ones.Īs a result, loud sounds can be harmful to the hair cells in the ear canal which can impair these receptors of sound both temporarily and permanently with increased and routine exposure to excessive high decibel levels. Exposure to extremely loud noises for any length of time threatens to damage the hearing for the short and long-term. So how loud is too loud? Let's take a look at what is safe and what is potentially unhealthy.ĭecibel levels that are safe for adults can be potentially harmful for infants and children. Decibel levels are critical for keeping your child safe. It's up to the parents to protect a baby's hearing and limit their exposure to loud environmental sounds. They aren't aware of decibel levels and while an infant can sense pain or discomfort from excessive and sharp noises, the child is unaware of the long-term and potentially permanent damage that could be caused as a result. One of the big challenges for protecting your child's hearing is the fact that a baby doesn't know if something is too loud for him or her to handle. Good hearing is an essential component of proper conversation and avoiding loud noises during infancy will go a long way toward protecting your child's capability for listening to the world around them. Maintaining safe decibel levels for infants is critical for positive development, especially with communication. That's the rule of thumb to consider when it comes to keeping infants safe from hearing damage.
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