Noise exposure in children and youths.

Abstract

Over the past several years there has been an increasing concern about excessive noise exposure in children and youths. Noise-induced hearing loss, once considered to be an occupational hazard, can be caused by any acoustic environment with sufficient energy to damage the cochlea. This presentation reviews available data on exposure levels and patterns from the most common sources of nonoccupational noise in children: Impulse noise from toy cap pistols and firecrackers in children and small-caliber firearms in youths, attendance at rock concerts, listening to amplified music through stereo headphones; and noisy school and leisure activities. For each exposure, consideration is given to the ‘‘dose’’ of noise experienced by the typical consumer, and the distribution of ‘‘doses’’ across users. The risk of each noisy activity causing or contributing to noise-induced hearing loss is determined by considering these factors and the prevalence of the activity in children and youths. Strategies are proposed to educate young consumers about the potential hazards to hearing from these exposures. [Work supported by NIOSH.]