Lots of people have opinions on when to pierce a baby’s ears. Some prefer to do it during infancy so babies won’t remember, while others would rather their child be old enough to make the decision and to take care of the piercings themselves.

In some cultures, piercing a baby’s ears is a custom and a rite of passage. In Spain and Latin America, for example, it’s customary to pierce a baby girl’s ears days after birth (sometimes even before she leaves the hospital).

You are viewing: Who Pierces Baby Ears Near Me

Indian, African, Asian, and some Middle Eastern countries practice baby ear piercing as a custom, too. For example, Hinduism has the Karnavedha, a traditional ear-piercing ceremony typically performed when a female child is between the ages of 1 and 5.

In the United States, there are no definitive rules on whether or not to pierce your baby’s ears (and when). The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) doesn’t explicitly recommend when to pierce your child’s ears, but says there’s little risk at any age if the piercing is performed carefully and cared for conscientiously. The AAP does recommend waiting until a child is old enough to take care of the piercings themselves, because this is the best way to reduce the risk of infection.

Piercing your baby’s ears: When to do it

Ultimately, when and whether to pierce a baby’s ears is a matter of parental preference.

There are things to consider when contemplating when to pierce your child’s ears, but ultimately, it’s about weighing any risks and benefits. Some parents wait, thinking there’s a connection between infant ear piercing and keloids (small nodules on the ear that most often occur as a result of injury to the lobe). But one small study found this was only true in children who pierced their ears after the age of 11, and who had a family history of keloids.

As long as ear piercings are done in a sanitary environment and the piercing sites are cared for diligently for the first few weeks, your infant’s ear piercings should heal well. In fact, they should heal just as well as if you waited until your child’s older.

You also don’t need to worry about your child having drooping or off-center piercings if you pierce their ears during infancy. Yes, our ear lobes do change as we age, but this gradual sagging won’t make a big difference in how your baby or child’s ear piercings look over time.

Piercing your baby’s ears right after leaving the hospital

Read more : Who Are The Characters Of The Cask Of Amontillado

If you’d like to get your baby’s ears pierced shortly after they return home from the hospital, your pediatrician may be willing to perform a medical piercing. (This means a piercing done in a sterile environment and performed by a medical professional.) If not, see if they can recommend another reputable healthcare professional to do the job.

Piercing your baby’s ears at 1 month

The younger a baby is when you pierce their ears, the less likely they are to remember it happening. At this age, your baby won’t move around much, which will make piercing easier. Plus, they won’t tug at their ears as they’re healing.

Some experts recommend waiting until your baby is at least 2 months old before getting their ears pierced – after they get the DTaP vaccine at their 2-month checkup. DTaP helps prevent diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus. A common cause of tetanus is puncture wounds or infection from a foreign object, which could include an unclean earring or piercing gun. However, if you have your baby’s ears pierced in a sterile, sanitary environment (more on that below) you won’t need to worry about a tetanus infection.

Piercing your baby’s ears at 3 months

By 3 months old, your baby is no longer considered a newborn, and is technically an infant. Their immune system is getting stronger, too. Some pediatricians recommend waiting until your baby hits 3 months before piercing their ears, out of an abundance of caution. At this age, if your baby were to get an infection from the piercing sites, it’s less likely they’d need to be admitted to the hospital.

Baby ear piercing risks

Let your pediatrician know ahead of time that you’re planning to pierce your baby’s ears. As with any piercing or body modification, there are some risks involved. They include:

• Pain or bleeding from the puncture site
• Allergic reaction from the earring itself or the tools used during the procedure (some babies and kids are allergic to nickel or gold, both metals that are commonly used in jewelry)
• Infection, which may warrant a visit to the hospital and/or a round of antibiotics
• Embedding of the backings into the piercing hole
• The formation of scar tissue near the piercing site

A less common but possible risk is that a loose earring could get dislodged from their ear and fall into your baby’s mouth, causing a choking hazard. Make sure the backings are secure (screw-back earrings are preferable for this reason) to prevent earrings from falling out.

Where to get your baby’s ears pierced

Get your baby’s ears pierced at a healthcare professional’s office, which you can trust is sterile and sanitary. It’s not unusual for pediatricians to do ear piercing, but if your baby’s doctor doesn’t, ask them to recommend someone.

Never pierce your baby’s ears at a jewelry store or a kiosk at a shopping center. These places usually use piercing guns (rather than needles), which can’t be sterilized. Workers are often inexperienced and receive little training or supervision, depending on the regulation and licensing standards in your state.

Read more : Who Owns Reel Toilet Paper

Healthcare providers who pierce babies’ ears use sterilized needles and put in starter earrings made of hypoallergenic surgical steel that are especially designed for this purpose. They also use gloves when piercing, and essentially treat piercing as they would any other medical procedure.

How to minimize pain from infant ear piercing

Even though ear piercing is over in a matter of seconds, it’s painful. If you want to spare your baby that pain, ask the doctor to apply a little bit of topical anesthesia to your baby’s ear lobes before the piercing. An alternative option is to numb the area beforehand with an ice pack.

Baby ear piercing aftercare

After the piercing, keep the earrings in for six weeks to prevent the holes from closing up. Always wash your hands with soap and warm water before touching your baby’s piercing sites, and try not to touch their earlobes other than when you’re cleaning them.

Here’s a few more cleaning tips for your baby’s pierced ears:

Apply rubbing alcohol or an antibiotic ointment around the ear lobe, front and back, twice a day, and gently rotate the earrings at least once a day while cleaning. Don’t press on your baby’s ear when doing so, as that can be painful. After each bath, dry the area around each piercing so it doesn’t stay damp.

Keep an eye out for any signs of infection. These can include pain, discharge, inflammation, fever, or bleeding, or the piercing site could become red or warm to the touch. If you see any of these signs, take the earring out (with washed hands!), clean the piercing sites with alcohol, and ask your baby’s doctor whether you need to apply any topical medication.

The doctor may recommend applying an antibiotic ointment or cream to the earlobe as well as to the earring itself before putting it back in. Ask your doctor if you can buy the cream over the counter or if you’ll need a prescription. Call the doctor if your baby runs a fever or their earlobe gets very red and swollen.

Swap in different earrings only after six weeks, when the ear lobes have healed. Make sure all new earrings are made of surgical steel or gold that’s at least 14 karats. Earrings made of other materials or mixed metals can trigger an allergic reaction.

Choose baby earrings that are very small, round, and as flat as possible in front. The fastener should cover the entire back of the earring, and the post should be rounded with a little point at the end. Never use dangling earrings or hoops, because your baby could tug on them and even pull them out – or the earrings could catch on something.

Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: WHO