We are all quite used to seeing others walking, jogging or working with earbuds or headphones.  Apparently, this use of audio equipment is becoming more widespread among younger children as well.

Why is this a concern?  Susan Woolford, a paediatrician involved in a National Poll on Children’s Health run by the University of Michigan says that “Over recent years we’ve mostly been concerned about teens overusing audio devices. But earbuds have become increasingly popular and prevalent among younger kids, exposing them to more intense noise on a regular basis.”

“Noise exposure risks to young children have historically involved loud singular events like concerts or fireworks, but parents may underestimate the potential harm from excessive use of listening devices. It may be difficult to know whether their child’s exposure to noise is healthy.”

Children are most likely to use these devices at home, school and in the car, report findings show. Half of the parents taking part in the poll agreed that headphones or earbuds help keep their child entertained.

It is worth keeping in mind the warnings about the dangers of prolonged or extreme exposure to loud noise to hearing loss or tinnitus.  Woolford reminds us that young children are more vulnerable to potential harm from noise because of their immature auditory systems.  Their ear canals are also smaller than adults, intensifying the levels of sound.  In addition, “Tiny hair cells inside the inner ear pick up sound waves to help you hear. When these get damaged or die, hearing loss is irreversible.”

Noise exposure among children can also affect their sleep, academic learning, language, stress levels and even blood pressure, she adds.

Woolford offers four tips to reduce risks of noise exposure to children through headphones and earbuds:

Monitor volume levels

Listen to the audio device used by your child and adjust the volume, Woolford says.

She recommends parents follow the 60/60 rule—children should be limited to no more than 60 minutes of audio devices a day at no more than 60% of the maximum volume.

“A good way to tell if an audio device is too loud is if a child wearing headphones can’t hear you when you’re an arm’s length away,” she said.

Use noise cancelling or volume limiting headphones

Consider the risk of noise exposure when you buy audio devices for your child by checking the information on device packages to identify products that limit the volume.

But some products marketed as “kid safe,” Woolford warns, do not limit the volume to 70 decibels.

However, children should avoid using noise-cancelling listening devices in situations when perception of sounds is crucial for safety.  These should not be used when a child needs to hear what is going on in their environment, such as walking or bike riding on public roads.

Make sure your child take breaks from listening devices

Children should have a daily “device-free” time, Woolford says. This may involve putting away or locking the child’s audio devices when time limits are up.

They may also encourage kids to enjoy things like music on a low volume in their rooms instead of using earbuds to reduce noise intensity.

Personal audio devices should also be avoided when children are sleeping or at bedtime, Woolford says.

Watch out for early signs of hearing loss

“Early signs of hearing loss may include asking for repetition, hearing ringing noises often, speaking loudly to people nearby, delayed speech, or lack of reaction to loud noises,” Woolford said.

More information: Poll: mottpoll.org/reports/can-they- … adphone-use-children

Provided by University of Michigan 

 Image supplied by Freepik.