ear piercing

Sumanda M. would love to get her 5-month-old baby girl’s ears pierced, yet she's received conflicting advice on when to do it. "My friend said to have it done at 6 months because she will be too small to pull the earrings out if it irritates her. But my pharmacist said to wait until 1 year, because if it's done while she's too small the holes might be skew later on. What do you think is the best time to have the ears pierced?" she asks the Circle of Moms community.

Samantha M., too, would like to get her 3-month-old daughter's ears pierced, but is not sure when or where to get it done. "If you have a child with pierced ears, what age did she get them? Did a doctor open her ears? If not, where did you go to get it done?" she asks. 

Many parents will debate the merits of piercing a baby’s ears. Yet if you're sold on the idea of getting your baby some bling, here are four tips to make it as pain- and problem-free as possible.

Keep reading.

Here's a post from our partners at BabyCenter! Every week, we bring you the best parenting and lifestyle stories from the experts at BabyCenter, including this post about piercing a baby's ears.

A Pittsburgh Gazette reader recently wrote into the newspaper about her strong disapproval of babies getting their ears pierced. She called it borderline child abuse and compared ear piercing to getting a tattoo. The reader expressed that parents should let their children grow up and make their own decision about whether to poke permanent pinholes in their years.

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Does this woman have a point? Is it cruel to pierce a baby’s ears?

The answer from most pediatricians is no.

“Ear piercing is usually done without painkillers because the piercing itself hurts less than a shot of anesthetic would,” Dr. Meredith Goodwin told BabyCenter.

Dr. Goodwin says that the procedure is perfectly safe, especially when performed by a doctor with a sterilized needle. The guns used at shopping malls aren’t always sterilized and babies are at a risk of catching hepatitis from these.

Of course, there are other small risks after the piercing procedure. Infections can develop if the ears aren’t regularly cleaned.

Would I pierce my baby’s ears?

This is a personal question for me and all moms because the answer is rooted in cultural traditions, family history, your own mother’s beliefs.

In some cultures, it’s common for babies to get their ears punctured just as in some cultures boys are circumcised. In many Southeast Asian and South American countries the procedure is performed at the hospital the day after birth. The gold studs in the ears of a 3-month-old are viewed beautiful, charms of good luck.

Do these babies grow into women who hate their mothers for making the decision for them? “I have yet to meet a Latina or a woman who had her ears pierced as a baby that has told me they regret having pinholes in their ears and blame their parents for doing that to them,” Ana Flores wrote on her blog SpanglishBaby.

Keep reading for more about piercing babies' ears.

The other day I ran into a mom who proudly shared that she was having her tot's ears pierced that afternoon. She inquired if I had plans for my 3-year-old to be bedazzled, and honestly, I hadn't thought about it. My lobes weren't punctured until I was the ripe old age of 13 and I had figured it would be about the same for my daughter — if she's even interested then.

Baby ear piercing isn't for everyone and is more of a personal family decision than a societal one. Sure, popping studs in your lil one's ears helps define her as a girl, but you could also toss on a pink headband or dress her in head-to-toe pastels. There are several areas of the world where piercing an infant's ears happens before they even head home from the hospital. So why does the idea of baby ear piercing still cause some mamas to cringe?

If you do chose to bling your baby, pediatricians suggest waiting until after your child has had her DPT shots (diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus) and working with a reputable salon that has experience piercing infant's ears — or having your pediatrician do it. Select small studs that nestle in the lobe so tender ears won't get snagged while putting on and taking off clothing. And be prepared to properly care for the piercings with daily cleanings and turning of the posts.

What do you think? Baby ear piercing — yea or nay?

Mommy Dearest —

My 7-year-old daughter is begging me to allow her to get her ears pierced, and I don't think she is ready. Many of her friends have already gone through the "punch," and each time she sees another one with some glitter in her earlobe, I get an earful of reasons she should be allowed to have it done. I didn't bejewel my own ears until I was 10 years old and I'd like to keep it that way for my daughter. Any advice?

— Mama With a Piercing Problem

To see Mommy Dearest's response, read more

Getting your ears pierced in my grammar school was a huge deal. My mom finally let me puncture my earlobes with tiny gold studs when I was 10. I still remember what I wore to the mall and how my classmates inspected the jewels when I got to school. In the years that followed, my friends and I would make trips to the mall just to buy earrings and expand our collections. For some people, ear piercing is a cultural tradition done when lil girls are born or still babies. Other parents believe it's a right of passage into adolescence.

I've heard stories about moms who made their daughters wait until graduation or celebrated their first period by allowing them to pierce their ears. I didn't have a plan so when my 5-year-old told me she wanted to get hers done the other day, I said okay. She loves fashion, putting outfits together and creating her own style, but next month she'll be heading to kindergarten at a private school that requires her to wear a uniform. Choosing earrings will still allow her a bit of creativity.

The other reason I'm granting her wish is because our new baby will soon make its debut. Before my son was born, we took a trip to Los Angeles to visit my best friend for a girls' weekend and my daughter still talks about it. I want her to have the same type of special memory prior to this sibling — not just because she's about to get another sister or brother, but because she's growing up too. What's your opinion on ear piercing?