Piercing a baby’s ears depend completely on the parents’ personal choice. However, it is recommended to wait till the child is old enough to take care it.
Ear piercings for a baby are always an issue of concern, because people have diverse views about it. As good as it looks, it takes a lot of care and medication, so it is commonly advised by pediatricians, to wait till the baby is at least 5-6 months old. Some people think it is easier to take a baby for a piercing, because he is not as aware as an older child. Take a look at some aspects which will help you decide, if you should get your baby’s ears pierced, and how to take care of it.
Ideal Age
When you decide to get your baby’s ears pierced, the first thing you need to do is inquire about the right age to do it. Consult your pediatrician about this. As the baby is new to its surroundings and completely dependent on you, the way its body will respond to a piercing is also uncertain. Hence, it is always better to get it done when she is at least 7 months old. At that age, her body is fit enough to heal a piercing wound.
Piercing Problems
The piercing can cause many problems, after all, it is an injury to the skin, where it will take time to heal. During this time, the baby can face a number of problems like infections and scarring.
Infection : The piercing can cause an infection to the wound. This can cause bleeding and an abscess occurrence, which can even lead to hospitalization. There can be allergic reactions, pain, or irritation, around the wound, due to these infections.
Keloid scars : These are lumps of tissue that grow around the pierced area. These can cause further infections and lead to an abscess formation around the wound. Keloid scars are usually hereditary and children from such families, should not get their ears pierced at a young age.
Uneven placing : Most of the infections are caused due to uneven placing of the piercing on the earlobe. Babies are usually fidgety and a sudden unpredictable movement can cause the piercing to dislocate. This may lead to piercing the area multiple times and result in a bigger injury.
Piercing Care
Once you have decided to get the ears pierced, take proper precautions before and during the procedure. Intensive care is also needed after the baby’s ears are done. Take a look at the following tips.
- Make sure you get it done from a specialist in pediatric piercing and not a place where they perform it with a piercing gun.
- Give your child a dose of Baby Tylenol before the procedure, as this will eliminate discomfort.
- Ask the specialist to use a 14-carat gold wire, as that will prevent an infection.
- After the procedure, clean the wound immediately with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.
- Maintain hygienic conditions around the wound for at least 7 weeks, by cleaning it daily with a good antiseptic.
- Turn the earrings once or twice daily for at least a period of 6 weeks.
- Make sure the baby wears the earrings for the first few months, constantly.
- Clean the back and the front side of the ear with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol or sanitizer.
- Avoid changing the baby’s earrings for at least a year.
A piercing is a matter of choice as mentioned earlier, but if you get one for your baby, make sure you take good care of the piercing.
