Noisy toys no fun for young ears

Power tools and rock music, move aside. There is a new threat to our hearing - noisy children's toys.

The Government has issued a pre-Christmas warning on the perils of toy phones and other noisy battery-operated gadgets with the power to damage children's hearing.

Consumer Affairs Minister Judith Tizard said yesterday that toys for children under 18 months of age should not be louder than 75 decibels and for children up to the age of 14, no louder than 85 decibels.

Her warning was prompted by a toy cellphone with a loud ring, which the importer and retailers have voluntarily withdrawn from sale.

"Babies and toddlers don't automatically pull away from a painful sound," Ms Tizard said.

"They're not often able to tell if a sound is too loud or not, so parents and caregivers need to be their ears for them. I congratulate the parent who raised concerns about this product."

Parents should compare the noise of toys with a cellphone on its loudest setting, which was about 95 decibels, or an oven clock alarm, which was about 102 decibels.

Those with doubts about a toy should take it back to the supplier or contact the Consumer Affairs Ministry, she said.

The recalled cellphone toy was sold under the name Mobile Electronic Phone and has the wording "JIN HUA" on its front. Most models are pink and green.

- NZPA