One of the loudest toys on the list, the Electronic Talking Nursery Rhyme Bus by Tek-Nek International, measured at 108 dB. That's loud enough to pose a potential hearing risk after one hour ‹ and the toy is meant for a baby 10 months and older. The second loudest toy in the study was the Pull-Up Blast Ball by Fisher Price, sounding off around 105 dB. The recommended age for this toy? Nine months.

Although none of the toys in the study pose an immediate risk for hearing loss, all of them are louder than 85 dB, the level set by the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) for mandatory hearing protection in the workplace.

"What concerns us most about the toys on this year's list are some of them are meant for babies," explains Julee Sylvester, Sight & Hearing Association spokesperson. "Babies can't cover their ears or move away from loud sounds. This means we're introducing them to a hearing hazard before age 1."

Because of a child's shorter arm span, toys are often potentially more dangerous because children hold them closer to their ears. In the Sight & Hearing Association study, the toys were tested at distances simulating how a child might hold the toy, directly near the ear (0 inches) and at arm's length (12 inches). A soundproof booth was used to ensure an accurate recording.

Currently, the Consumer Product Safety Commission does not have regulations that address the loudness of toys. Another regulatory agency, the American Society of Testing and Materials, requires only that toys not exceed 138 dB when measured 25 cm from the surface of the toy. That is louder than a gunshot or a jet at take-off. Standards set by the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) for the nation's workers indicate that continued exposure to noise over 85 dBA will eventually harm hearing.

So, what should parents do? The Sight & Hearing Association offers the following tips:
- Listen to a toy before you buy it. If it sounds loud to you, it's too loud for your child. Don't buy it.
- Report a loud toy. Call the Consumer Product Safety Commission or the Sight & Hearing Association.

The Minnesota-based Sight & Hearing Association, founded in 1939, is dedicated to preventing vision and hearing loss in all Minnesotans through education, screening and research.