To pierce or not

Baby ears

There was something spectacular about four months old baby Angel that you could not put a finger on. But if you got more keen, you would see that it was about a glimmer, some preciseness, some metal—and Alas! The earrings! And no matter what angle you looked at them from, they gave the same effect—dazzle-dazzle!

That is why mothers are booking appointments with experts to have their babies adorn the dazzle effect. The procedure: Babyish coos from the mother and the expert, swards of antiseptic on the baby’s sweet earlobe making her cringe, a shot, a wail and finally a dazzle. The same going for the other side. ‘In case of any infections, bring her back. But as long as you clean the wound and leave it alone, she will be fine,’ are the expert’s instructions. And most of the time, the wound quickly heals leaving nothing but the interesting flicker.

However, this is a risk that parents who want to pierce their newborn’s ears have to take. Doctors recommend that piercing should be put off until the child is old enough to take care of the piercing herself, that is in their adolescence. But for the parents who are ready to tackle the risks that come with piercing, the following are worth noting:

The Do’s
Pierce your baby only after three months when she has taken at least some of the required vaccines and has the capacity to fight some mild infections.

Make sure that a test is run on your baby to ensure that she is not prone to colloids (growths that form on the scars of some people).

Let a doctor or a reputable expert who follows sterilization methods do the procedure. He should wear gloves, disinfect all the equipment and use mild antiseptic on the skin.

Use earrings of less allergy prone metals like stainless steel or gold.

Clean the earrings and the area surrounding it several times a day with antiseptic to keep infections at bay. Watch for increased redness, tenderness or rash around the pierced hole which could indicate infection or an allergy. Once the rash is detected, remove the earrings. If the rash persists, consult with your doctor.

Keep the baby’s hands away from the newly pierced area to avoid complications.

Have the initial stud in place for a minimum of six weeks. Afterwards, remove it and using a small cotton ball, carefully wipe the front and the back of the earlobe with antiseptic and put the stud back on. Again clean front and the back of the earlobe with the antiseptic cautiously twisting the earring front and back, several times a day.

Make sure the baby only wears studs—earrings that don’t hang. Loops or dangling jewelry can get caught in clothing thus causing damage. Moreover, children are also more likely to play with them, increasing the risk of infection.

Ensure that the back of the earring is secure. If it is loose and it falls off, the baby may swallow it or choke on it.

The Dont’s
» Do not use an unskilled person to pierce the baby at home. This will massively increase the risk of infections.

» Do not use alcohol on freshly pierced skin as it will dry out the ears without allowing it to start healing.

» Do not use hydrogen peroxide either, since it removes the new skin that your baby’s body is trying to create.

Risks avoided in delayed piercing

Infections: Younger infants have weaker immune systems and might not be able to fight off infections well. They are also likely to keep rubbing their ears a lot and this could increase the chances of infections.

Embedded earrings: Part of the earring may accidentally make its way into the main ear hole and get stuck in there. While this can occur at any age, it can be harder to remove in infants.

Allergic reactions: Your baby may be allergic to certain metals. If that particular metal is what was used to make the earring your baby is wearing, a persistent itch and break out is likely to form around the baby’s ear exposing her to more infection. Some of such allergies disappear with age, thus making it safer your child to pierce later on.

Choking hazard: Babies are likely to keep touching the ears as they play, making the stud come off. They may either swallow it or choke on it.

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