Out in the suburbs, the big question is often about car seats. In the city, things are a little more complex. One of the first challenges urban parents face? Protecting an infant’s ears. Whether it’s the shriek of the 6 train at Union Square, a jackhammer on the sidewalk, or the sudden wail of a police siren, NYC is loud. And infants are particularly vulnerable. Their small ears and narrow ear canals make them more susceptible to noise damage, and unfortunately, the kind of hearing loss caused by excessive volume is permanent. A good rule of thumb: if you need to raise your voice to talk to someone standing next to you, it’s too loud for your baby. Experts typically cite 85 dB as the threshold for potential damage, but frequent exposure to even lower levels can have an impact. That’s where noise-canceling headphones come in. Used correctly, they’re an excellent tool for protecting your baby’s hearing. We recommend keeping a pair in your stroller bag and popping them on when the volume spikes. Just be selective about when you use them—babies still need to hear the world around them to build comfort with their environment and support their auditory development.