Noisy toys can damage little ears A recent study by the Consumer Product Safety Commission has shown that excessively noisy toys can be bad for small ears. Many toys designed to stimulate children can actually be loud enough to cause hearing damage. For infants and children with shorter arms who hold loud toys closer to their ears, the danger can be even greater. Although the CPSC does not currently have regulations on toy loudness, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards indicate that prolonged exposure to sounds louder than 85 decibels can pose a threat to one's hearing. The League for the Hard of Hearing lists the following toys that make noises louder than 110 decibels: Musical toys such as drums and horns may be as loud as 120 dBA. Certain rattles and squeaky toys are as high as 110dBA. Toy phones are measured between 123 and 129 dBA. Toy guns with firearm sounds emit volumes as loud as 150 dBA. If you are concern, test the toy on your own ears. Chances are if the noise hurts your ears it will hurt your childs as well. Dangerously loud toys can be reported to the CPSC at 1-800-638-2772.