Table of Content
- Overview
- When to get your baby’s ear pierced?
- Is ear piercing safe for the baby?
- What are the risks in baby’s ear piercing?
- How to minimise pain during and after ear piercing in babies?
- Aftercare Tips For Baby Piercings
- How To Know About Infections In Baby’s Ear Piercings?
- Which is the best jewellery to be used for ear piercing of babies?
- Conclusion
- FAQs
Overview
- In many parts of the world ear piercing is tradition not a cosmetic process.
- If you are thinking about piercing your baby’s ears and worried about the issues small baby faces and the risks involved in piercing you are at the right place.
- In this blog we go through the details on piercing baby’s ears like precautions, risks, where to get pierced, aftercare and a lot more.
When to get your baby’s ear pierced?
- Some individuals get their baby’s ear pierced at an early age while some individuals let their child to grow up and decide whether they want to get their ear pierced.
- In a lot of cultures its a custom to pierce baby’s ears. In Latin America ana Spain its customary to get baby girls ear pierced within days of birth.
- In some Asian, Middle East and African countries all follow ear piercing as a custom.
- In Hinduism too its customary to get a child pierced between the age of 1-5 and the tradition is called karnavedha.
- But according to medical science the baby should get ear piercing only after they are minimum three months old.
- As the baby has more stronger immunity by 3 months as compared to a new born and they must have got a few vaccines too which makes their immunity better.
Is ear piercing safe for the baby?
- Its safe for the baby to get their ears pierced if the piercing is done with proper care using sterilized equipment and aftercare is done correctly.
- The individual performing piercing should be experienced and qualified for babies piercing.
- The most important thing is to know which material is being pierced in baby’s ear and is it safe.
Image source- neighborhoodpediatrics
What are the risks in baby’s ear piercing?
- It is generally considered safe but there are some risks in baby’s ear piercing.
- Even if the ear piercing is not done at a known place and by a qualified piercer it may show some complications during the healing process.
- Nickel should be avoided in piercing as it may cause allergic reactions in babies.
- The most issue in infant piercing is infection and loose earring getting dislodged and entering babies mouth causing a lot of trouble.
- Screw back earrings should be used to avoid such incidents.
How to minimize pain during and after ear piercing in babies?
- Babies don’t understand what they are going through when they are being pierced.
- Piercing can be painful for the babies and it is advised to complete the ear piercing process as soon as possible.
- An experienced piercer will be a great help as they know how to complete the piercing without much trouble.
- Ice pack can be used before and after the ear piercing to numb the area.
- Some piercers even use a bit of topical anesthesia on the ear lobes of the baby just before the ear piercing to numb the area.
Image source- todaysparent
Aftercare Tips For Baby Piercings
- Aftercare is very critical in baby’s ear piercing as the infant wont be able to express his/her pain so the aftercare process should be done gently and regularly.
- Babies should be distracted for first few days after piercing as they may be feel uncomfortable. The distraction can be their favorite toy,sibling playing with them or taking them out for some time.
- Additional aftercare tips include, never remove the earrings before six weeks of piercing to avoid the holes from closing.
- Avoid touching ear lobes unnecessarily and washing hands properly is advised before touching the piercing.
How To Know About Infections In Baby’s Ear Piercings?
- Keep close watch for infection that shows symptoms like fever, pain, bleeding, discharge from the piercing and inflammation.
- Other signs of infection can be redness or the area close to piercing becoming a bit warm than normal.
- Applying antibiotic cream or ointment on the front and back of the ear lobe can help in quick healing and avoiding infections too.
- Please consult a doctor soon if infection persists after the above remedies.
Which is the best jewellery to be used for ear piercing of babies?
- 14k gold or higher is best for babies, nickel should be avoided as it can cause infections in babies.
- The earring should be round, small and flat for a baby’s ear piercing.
Image source- medicalpiercing
Conclusion
The main thing to know before piercing baby’s ears is always be careful in picking the piercing place and the piercer. The process of ear piercing can be a needle or a piercing gun but should be properly sterilized and done with proper care and soft hands.The aftercare is crucial along with the selection of jewelry material. Make it comfortable for the baby as a happy baby means happier parents.
FAQ’s
Does ear piercing hurt babies a lot?
Most of the babies cry for sometime because they feel a quick pinch. The crying period mostly passes away quickly with feeding or cuddling.
Which type of earrings are good for baby’s first ear piercing?
Medical grade surgical steel, implant grade titanium and 14 carat gold are good for first ear piercing.
