Here are some ways that you should consider the help take care of your newborn baby’s hearing.
If a baby is born with healthy hearing, then they will start with the best version of their hearing for the rest of their lives. Therefore it is up to you to protect your newborn’s hearing, especially in their sensitive early years. Here are some ways that you should consider to help take care of your newborn baby’s hearing.
Lower the Volume
It can be easy for us as adults to underestimate how loud the volume is because our hearing isn’t as strong as it used to be. But loud volume is one of the leading causes of hearing damage. Because of technology getting into the hands of younger and younger generations, we can see people getting hearing loss at a much earlier age. So when it comes to protecting your baby from early hearing loss, it’s best to keep the volume low on the TV, radio, iPad, and other electronics. When you are watching TV, if you need the volume a little louder, then you should put your baby further away from the speakers.
Watch Out for Toys
The recommended maximum volume level is 85 decibels, but you might be surprised to know that many baby toys exceed this level. The danger of loud baby toys is that children are attracted to them–especially since most have flashing lights and other interesting features–that make babies want to hold them close to their ears. Make sure that you don’t purchase a toy until you listen to how loud it gets. It might not be fun to reject a toy because it’s too loud, but your baby’s lifelong hearing health is worth it.
See a Professional Before Cleaning
It’s already a bad idea to attempt cleaning your own ears with cotton swabs, which means it’s even worse to clean your baby’s delicate ears that way. Instead, you should take them to the audiologist. An audiologist will check your newborn’s hearing health and talk to you about the best ways to care for their hearing, including cleaning.
Contact Bay Area Audiology Today!
If you are concerned about hearing loss or seeking hearing evaluations, tinnitus evaluations, or hearing aid assistance, our doctors are ready to help. We are passionate about helping all of our patients improve their quality of life through better hearing. We also believe that patient education is critical, so you won’t be lead through endless sales pitches at our office. If you are interested in hearing how we can help you hear even better, contact us at (410) 838-4327 or online. For more hearing tips and articles, follow Bay Area Audiology on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.