Piercing Infants Ears?

[Krojas21]

First off let me please state that I'm not posting this to start a debate. I was just wondering if there is any medical thoughts out there as to how early is too early to pierce an infants ears. Again please don't make this a debate.

I have seen babies less than 5 days old with pierced ears. Is there any medical reason to wait until a certain age. I have heard from one salon that parents should wait until at least x amount of time so that the cartilage can form first. Besides saftey (possible swallowing or tearing), infection and alergic reation to the metal are they any concerns about piercing a babies ears in the first few months of life?

Plus if any of you work in ped clinics do the Docs pierce the ears of infants if the parent wants? Who supplys the baby safe studs (with screw on backs) if they will (the parent or the doc)? I have seen infants earings with screw on backs in catalogs but I don't they are for starting the whole (pointed). If the docs do them how are they done (stud gun or needle)? Thanks in advance.

PS Please don't start a debate on wheather parents even should. I only want more non judgmental info, thanks.

[fergus51]

I really don't think there is a certain age. When you think about it logically, we circumcize newborns at a day old. Piercing the ears is certainly not any more traumatic or dangerous. I've never heard you should let the cartilage form. You aren't piercing cartilage.

[Krojas21]

I only heard of the cartilage part once from a salon person. I think she meant that since babies don't have very firm cartilage in the ears for the first few months that piercing in the wrong spot would be bad if they accidently pierced too high and the cartilage grew around the earing. I think she meant it was best to wait until it had really formed/hardened as to not mess up.

[fergus51]

I just don't see how that could happen. The earlobe is a pretty good sized fleshy area. I don't see how anyone would hit the cartilage by accident and I doubt it would cause a big problem even if they did. Cartilage is very good at growing back. I had my ear pierced high in the cartilage and it grew over within a few days of taking out the earring.

[NRSNFL]

I would actually suggest parents wait till your child is like 2-3...I had my daughters done and she ended up having surgery 2x after that, so they had to come out. Might as well wait a while, make sure your child is healthy and then try. I had to wait till she was 8 weeks per the professionals. My peds office also does it for us, but I wouldn't recommend it because then babies will have a negative vision of the doctor.

[bassetmom]

I know that at our office recommends not piercing until at least after the 3rd DaPT (which is typically given at 6 months) so they have better protection against tetorifice. Theoretically, everything should be sterile anyway, but better safe than sorry.

[Chaya, ASN, RN]

To add my two cents worth- the baby should be past the age of putting everthing into their mouth just in case. The studs they use are pretty secure but kids can get into (and out of) just about anything. :uhoh21:

[MMARN, BSN, RN]

I actually had my ears pierced when I was about 2 months old. Nothing happened. My aunt, who is an OR nurse, did them and they never got infected and I never had an allergic reaction to it, either. All she did was put two gold studs in my ears and that was that. I still have the earrings. Obviously, it is different for everybody, but I don't think there is a real threat there. As for the cartiladge, I seriously doubt that could happen. It's just that the earlobe is not cartiladge and I don't see how there could be any type of danger as to your concerns.

[Nightcrawler, BSN, RN]

My mother pierced my sisters ears at 3 months, and there was never any problem at all. Because at that age they are barely realizing that they have hands and feet, there was no infection associated with touching the sore ears. Later when she started playing with the earrings, my mom just switched over to teeny tiny hoops that my sister wore until she was about 16.

[JentheRN05, RN]

I had my daughters ears pierced at about 1 month old. We didn't have any problems with her. I think because she, by the time she figured out she 'could' do things, these were a part of her. They were screw on backs :)

She had the same earring in until she was about 4. Then she and I would choose earrings and I would help her put them in. No problem at all.

[Chaya, ASN, RN]

In my MIL's day all the girls in her family were pierced in early childhood and a loop of heavy black thread was left tied through the ear to keep it open. The girls were told to keep pulling on the thread and to pull it back and forth through the hole!

[capribry]

Where I live at, in Hampton Roads, Virginia, the people who does the ear piercings(don't know there professional name) says that the baby has to be 6 weeks old. I don't think that doctor's perform this procedure. You can get it done at tattoo or shops that you can buy earrings from(the mall). I haven't seen screw backs done on jewelry unless it was real diamonds so that you wouldn't lose the expensive jewelry. But if you want screwbacks it would cost extra.

Also when I got my 2nd holes in my ears about 8 years ago (I know it doesn't count as being an infant) something bad happen. When I woke up the next morning to look in the mirror at my new studs, I realized that it was gone. I went to my dad thinking that they fell out, but it was worst.The front part of my earring was inside my ear!!!! Only a corner was visable and of course the back. My dad had to unscrew the earring and push it out my ear (very painful). Needless to say, I took the earrings out and let the holes close up and will never get them pierce again.