For the 10th year, the Sight & Hearing Association and researchers from the University of Minnesota tested toys - taken right off retailers' shelves - for potentially dangerous sound levels. This year, 15 of the 20 toys tested for Sight & Hearing Association's 2007 Noisy Toys List sounded off louder than 100 decibels (dB) directly at the speaker of the toy. And 15 of 20 are meant for children three years or younger.

The top offender this year is Ghost Light Ramone, a Disney Cars toy that roars and yells when shaken. Its Cars cousin, The King, is third loudest on the list. They roared in at 118.5 and 113.5 decibels (dBA), respectively. The Power Gear Extreme Command System at 114.5 dB and Little Einsteins Create a Masterpiece at 112.3 dB also topped the list. At those levels, a child's hearing is at risk for hearing damage in less than one minute, according to National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) guidelines.

"I was surprised at how loud these toys were in general," says Vivian Tran, M.D., a resident otolaryngologist at the University of Minnesota who tested the toys.

Sounds that are 85 dB or louder can permanently damage your hearing. The louder the sound, the less time it takes to cause damage. For example a sound at 85 dB may take as long as eight hours to cause permanent damage, while a sound at 100 dB can start damaging hair cells after only 15 minutes of listening. According to NIOSH, part of the Centers for Disease Control, the permissible exposure time (the amount of time you should listen) is cut in half with every three decibels over 85 dB.

Because of a child's shorter arm span, toys are often potentially more dangerous to hearing because children hold them closer to their ears. Some toys are even meant to be held close-to-the-ear, such as play cell phones. This year, SHA tested Elmo's World Talking Cell Phone, made for an 18-month-old, which measured at 96.2 dB. In the Sight & Hearing Association study, the toys were repeatedly tested at distances simulating how a child might hold the toy, directly near the ear (0 inches) and at arms' length (10 inches). A soundproof acoustic chamber was used to ensure accurate measurements.

"We do this test two ways because we want to know exactly what these toys are capable of producing," explains Julee Sylvester, SHA spokesperson. "In other words, how loud can these toys get?"

Until late 2003, there were no regulations in the United States regarding the loudness of toys. An acoustics standard (ASTM F963), adopted and revised in March 2004 by ASTM International, states that a hand-held, table-top or crib toy cannot exceed 90 dB 25 cm (approx. 10 in.) from the surface of the toy. Compliance with the standard is voluntary.

Directly at the speaker of the toy, all of the toys tested this year measured louder than 90 dB. At 10 inches from the toy's surface, two of the toys measured louder than 90 dB: the Power Gear Hyper Disintegrator (92 dB) and Blue's Clues Learning Lessons Computer (92 dB).

While the United States has one of the highest regulated toy industries, toy safety has definitely been a hot topic this year with all of the toy recalls. The acoustics of toys continues to be a concern to organizations like the Sight & Hearing Association.

In the Toy Industry Association's statement regarding the sound level of toys, it writes, "What makes people call a toy 'too noisy' is a matter of opinion and personal preference - just as some people prefer soft, classical music to loud rock music."

Sylvester disagrees. "100 decibels is 100 decibels, whether it's Mozart, Metallica - or Mattel. Our noisy toys study proves year after year that there are toys on toy store shelves that are too loud."

"Hearing loss is cumulative," she continues. "It may take many events before a person has a hearing loss. What we're doing with some of these toys is introducing children to noise at a young age, and that will only increase their odds of having a hearing loss earlier in life."

So what should you look out for when shopping for those littlest tykes on your list? Dr. Tran offers some simple advice. "When shopping, try to find toys with on/off switches and volume controls." And try to make sure the volume is set to low.

Here are some additional tips to help protect your child's hearing:

	Listen to a toy before you buy it. If it sounds loud to you, it's too loud for your child.
	Put masking or packing tape over the speaker on the toy. This will help reduce the volume.
	Report a loud toy. Call the Consumer Product Safety Commission at 800/638-2772 or the Sight & Hearing Association at 800/992-0424, or contact us by e-mail at ReportAToy@sightandhearing.org.

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