There is nothing I love more than hearing my little boy say, "I love you!" And lately, he's been walking up to me, putting his little arms around me, and saying those sweet little words all the time. I couldn't be happier! I know that these moments with him will be over in the blink of an eye, so I am soaking in every single moment and listening to every single word.
Being able to hear my son say these three words and having him be able to hear me say them in response is a blessing I often take for granted. But almost 3 in 1,000 babies (approximately 12,000) are born with some kind of hearing loss in the United States every year. And one in eight people in the United States (30 million) who are twelve years old or older has hearing loss in both ears.
As parents, we want to do everything we can to protect our babies, but I feel like we often forget how important it is to protect their little ears. We bundle them up in warm clothes when it's cold, apply sunscreen when they will be out in the sun, and cut their food into tiny pieces to avoid choking. I don't think we're as careful to use ear protection to protect them from hearing loss. But we should be. Because, according to an article published in The New York Times, an infant might perceive sound as 20 decibels louder due to the fact that their ear canals are so much smaller than an older child's or an adult's ear canal. And hearing loss from exposure to loud noises is cumulative and irreversible. So babies who are exposed to loud noises over and over again will experience hearing loss that cannot be reversed.
In addition to hearing loss, loud noises can also cause overstimulation in our children. And some children might be more susceptible to overstimulation than others. When they're overstimulated, babies become fussy, withdrawn, hyperactive, or struggle to sleep. I don't know about you, but those are definitely things I'd like to avoid with my babies.
So what can we, as parents, do to protect our babies from hearing loss and overstimulation? Well, the first step is obviously to avoid exposing our children to loud noises. But completely avoiding all loud environments is pretty impossible, right? Especially because our modern world is full of so much noise! Our children are exposed to noise everywhere they go, from their baby toys, to their cartoons, to sporting and other events, and so much more. So I'm really excited to announce that The Baby Cubby will now be carrying BANZ Infant Earmuffs and BANZ Kids Earmuffs.
BANZ Infant Earmuffs and BANZ Kids Earmuffs are designed specifically for babies' sensitive ears. They feature adjustable bands, allowing these earmuffs to grow with your child. So you will only need to purchase two sizes of earmuffs in order to protect your child from the time they are an infant until they are a pre-teen. Most importantly, volume cannot exceed 75db (the recommended safe level), keeping your child safe from noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). They are made with comfortable foam pads and a thick shell, so they will be sure to keep your baby comfortable and safe.
BANZ Infant Earmuffs fit babies ages 0-2 years old and are available in these three cute colors.
