Ear piercing for infants?

@lillake (1630)
United States
March 11, 2007 10:39pm CST
What do you think of piercing infants and young children's ears? Do you think it should wait until the children are older and can care for them and not risk ripping them out? Or do you think it should be done young so the child does not remember the pain? What are your reasons for or against it?
7 people like this
28 responses
• United States
12 Mar 07
Someone else posted the same duscussion about 2 weeks ago. I would not personally do it to my child because I just don't like the way it looks on babies. It doesn't look cute to me, it looks odd to me- like something adult on this little baby. Plus, I believe body modification should be up to the person who's body is getting cosmetically modified. When my kid asks for it themselves, and they are old enough to take care of it themselves,then they can get their ears pierced if they want.
5 people like this
12 Mar 07
I agree. I have two daughter aged three and two and I would not like to see them with ears pierced at this age. It makes them look like they are growing up too quickly! If they want them pierced later that will be up to them. I had my ears pierced at age nineteen and I don't seem to remember it being too painful anyway!
@misheleen73 (6037)
• United States
12 Mar 07
I personally believe you should wait. My reason is that maybe your daughter might not want to have her ears pierced. That is a decision that should be made when a child is older and able to take care of them herself. I was allowed to do it when I turned 13. It was a kind of coming of age type thing.
5 people like this
@wmaharper (2316)
• United States
12 Mar 07
I think it should wait until they are older. I think it is a big deal, and that the child should be old enough to not only bear the responsibility, but to appreciate the privilege as well.
2 people like this
@astromama (1221)
• United States
12 Mar 07
I agree with rarri, the first poster... I think it should be left up to the child who's body will have the hole in it. My mother waited until I was three years old and we did it for my birthday. I remember the experience really clearly, and I had wanted it done. I don't know how I would feel if it were done to me without my consent at a younger age... I probably wouldn't mind. Holes close up if you let them. As far as waiting until they are older, I think it's a good idea. I oculd not care for my own ears at three years old, and I do remember pulling at them a lot and having them get infected a time or two. I also remember snagging them and causing my ears to bleed more than once. I do think it's better to wait until the child knows to be careful and how to clean their own ears... but to each their own.
3 people like this
• United States
12 Mar 07
I know that everyone is different but personally my husband and I decided that we are going to wait until our daughter can take responsiblity for them. We think that it is best if she gets it done for her birthday when she gets older. We wanted to let her make the desicion to get her ears pierced.
• Philippines
12 Mar 07
from where i grew up, it's common to have infants' and young girls' ears pierced. i think they said it's because the wound heals much faster as well as the "pain" will be quicker and easier to handle. but for health and hygiene purposes, i'm opposed to it. coz i've also seen babies and kids having allegic reactions to metals on their ears as well as uncontrollably pulling on their ears that resulted to reddening, scratches and small wounds. i wouldn't like that for myself and for any kid at all. i had my ears pierced when i turned 18. it's a bit late for many, but that was my choice. at 4 years old i was asked by my mother if i wanted to have my ears pierced just like my friends in the neighborhood. probably, all the girls' wailings scared me off ear piercing for some time. :)
• United States
12 Mar 07
I think a baby should have her ears pierced. When a kid is older they are more curious(let's say ages 1 and up)and they want to be touching them all the time. The younger they are the better. I also don't believe it's not that painful(I know we don't know what babies feel but as long as you treat it as a grown person would I think it will be fine. I also think piercing of ears has something to do with tradition. I know in my family all the babies get their ears pierced from 2 weeks and up. My daughter is 3 months old and the reason I have not pierced her ears is because I haven't bought the right earings for her. Just some advice.....There are certain earings that are almost as sharp as needles. They are better to use on babies. The hole doesn't get that big. If you go to a piercing place they use thicker earings. If you use the earrings I'm talking about you won't be able to notice the hole when your kid get's older. If you see my ears you can't even tell that I have a hole for earrings.
1 person likes this
@Galena (9110)
12 Mar 07
then why not wait until they're old enough to ask for it and to understand why not to touch it and mess with it. and old enough to be careful not to snag it and tear the ear.
• United States
12 Mar 07
Getting kids ears pierced at a young age is just silly I think. Doing it so they don't remember the pain is just a lame excuse to justify doing it. What if when they grow up they don't want their eras pierced and the parents forced them to have it done when they were younger. By the time they get old enough to decide what they want the hole will all ready be healed enough it won't go away.
1 person likes this
@mkirby624 (1598)
• United States
12 Mar 07
My mom tried to get mine done when I was 3 months, but I squirmed so much, they couldn't do it. The doctor told her to wait until I asked for them and would sit still for it. When I was 3, I started asking to get them pierced, so she took me to get it done. I don't know if I want my BABY to have her ears pierced. I think waiting until 2 or 3 is better. I won't, however, tell my kid she can't have it done until a certain age. A lot of parents do that, it irritates me. What makes 12 a better age to get your ears pierced??
@Galena (9110)
13 Mar 07
at about 12 they're old enough to understand what they're having done, and to give consent. they're old enough to look after it themselves, and to be aware of risks when they are wearing them, so will be more careful not to catch them. and they're old enough to understand that it will sting a little bit, but then it will stop.
12 Mar 07
I don't believe in having a child's ears pierced. A baby is just way too young. They have no say in it. It makes you wonder if the parent is doing because "they" want it and not for what is best for their child. Kids just don't take care of themselves as they should. With everything that kids are into, you are begging for an infection. For me, no child of ours would have anything pierced before they were 15. Ear piercing for babies? Why rush their early innocent years?
1 person likes this
@Lady_Vincy (1538)
• United States
12 Mar 07
I think that infants should get their ears pierced. When I was born, my parents pierced my ears when I was just a month old. I feel tha it is better to get it right after a baby is born. As a baby the child is not really likely to pull the earings out of their ears. I agree with you in the case that it should be done young so that the child does not remember the pain. I know that most (if not all) of the girls in my family had their ears pierced within a few weeks of being born. If they all had their ears pierced then I don't see a problem with getting it done that early.
@Galena (9110)
12 Mar 07
it's not that painful. I had mine done at 12, and it just stung a little bit. I'm not traumatised by remembering it. better to have it done when they are old enough to give informed consent
• United States
12 Mar 07
I honestly think that you should wait. When they are young, they are always pulling at their ears. They can't take care of them, and chances are they will rip it out. I think that a child should be old enough to care for them. It really doesn't hurt that bad, just for a sec, so I really don't think that age matters there. We all hate to see our kids cry, but no matter the age, its going to happen.
1 person likes this
• India
12 Mar 07
I am personally of the opinion that the earlier the better and the culture that I come from there isnt going to be a female who wouldnot liek to or want to wear earrings in future. Females actually are fond of wearing 2 or evn 3 earring going up their ear forget only one, so its more a question of me doing it for my daughter when she doesnt remember a thing or she getting it done for herself at a a later age. I got her ears pierced before she was 3 months old and she has had no trouble at all.
2 people like this
@Minesky (245)
• Philippines
12 Mar 07
My ears were pierced when I was still a baby. I actually agree that the child would not remember the pain. I don't:) My niece had her ears pierced when she was 5 and it was a traumatic experience for her, and she shivers when I ask her about it. Reason why her ears were pierced at that time is just because her mom convinced her that she would look better if she wears nice earrings! I recall an episode in Oprah, that she had her ears pierced on national television, boy, I felt she regretted that decision when she saw the needle (haha) An advise would be, if you were the parent, the decision to have the child's ears pierced should happen when he/she is still a baby. If you did not have this done at that time, the next would be the at the child's discretion.
@GardenGerty (156813)
• United States
12 Mar 07
Where I live, the advice is that if you get an infant's ears pierced, it should be a special kind that the back screws onto. That way they cannot accidentally come apart and get swallowed. My daughter's doctor recommended not before five. when she was four, and I was thirty, I got my ears pierced, and she watched. She asked if she could have hers pierced, and I told her to wait one more year and see if she still wanted to. Two months before her fifth birthday I let her get her ears pierced, so that they would be healed and people could get her earrings for her birthday. That worked for us. I would worry about creating metal allergies in a yung infant, and that might affect them all of their lives.
• United States
12 Mar 07
I don't have a problem with it personally. My mother had my ears pierced when I was an infant, I feel the younger the better so they don't remember the pain. You can get special gold piercing studs that don't cause itching or allergic reactions and they are very hard to pull out. I still wear that type of earring to this day - I have five in each ear - and I can leave them in for weeks at a time and they never fall out, or itch my ears. If the child later decides they don't like earrings, they can always take them out at that time...but from my experience, most little girls like having earrings and at that point, the earlier the better so they don't remember how much it hurts!! :O)
@babykay (2131)
• Ireland
12 Mar 07
Well, I don't find it to be a huge deal. I have no intention of piercing my baby's ears by the way! But, I suppose if you oppose elective circumcision of boys, genital mutilation of girls and scarification etc and take this argument to its logical conclusion re piercing of baby's ears you would have to be against, wouldn't you!
@babykay (2131)
• Ireland
12 Mar 07
Well, I don't find it to be a huge deal. I have no intention of piercing my baby's ears by the way! But, I suppose if you oppose elective circumcision of boys, genital mutilation of girls and scarification etc and take this argument to its logical conclusion re piercing of baby's ears you would have to be against, wouldn't you!
@pixiedust (177)
• Philippines
12 Mar 07
it's normal for me because in our family (including the extended ones) everyone girl gets their ears pierced after a few months. our family doctor is the one who does it. she uses a special earring that's hypoallergenic so it's safe for kids. i think even other people in our country does it. so it's acceptable here. if i have kids, i would probably do the same because that's what i got used to. but i think it really depends on the parent. i don't find anything wrong with it. i don't find anything wrong with not doing it either.
@stacy624 (2776)
• Canada
14 Mar 07
I think everyone is different...I didnt get my daughter's ears done until she was 7 and asked for them. I dont think there is any right or wrong answer just what you feel you want to do. Good Luck Stacy