Should I Pierce My Child's Ears?

The decision of whether or not to pierce a child's ears is a sensitive issue for many. Some people decide that their child is not recognizably female or may have another cultural reason if he is a boy. These people believe that piercing the child's ears will be in the child's best interest. Others worry that putting holes that were not previously there is not only altering their child's perfect body, but, if done in infancy, is also taking away the child's choice of whether or not to have his ears pierced at all.

It is important that you are aware that there are a few risks, should you decide to go forward with the piercing. Piercing guns themselves cannot be sterilized (though the needles should be used on only one person) and therefore can introduce all manner of bacteria and infections to your child's body, such as hepatitis B or C, tetanus, or even HIV (though there have been no reported instances of this last one, it is still possible) or any other blood-borne pathogen. This can be difficult for an infant to fight off by herself. Make sure your child has had all her vaccinations and know that you'll need proof of your infant's round of tetanus shots. Some doctor's offices offer the piercing procedure, which can greatly improve the chance that the piercing will be done hygienically.

There is also the risk that, while your child grows from infancy, the position of the piercing may look more and more off-center. Another risk is that of keloid development, which is excessive scar tissue that forms in response to an incision or trauma. This can make it difficult to enjoy for your child to enjoy his new earrings. There's also the chance that the earrings could be torn out if the child forgets to take them off before changing clothes, or after the child has been swimming in the drying effects of chlorinated pool water. In the case of babies, the earrings could get torn out during playtime or simply while the baby's exploring his new body. Not to mention that there's the chance that the child could gain a parasite or agent from swimming in a lake or river soon after having a new piercing. There's also a possibility of the cleaning solutions for the ears or earrings themselves causing an allergic reaction in the child's skin.

There are risks to the procedure of having her ears pierced and reasons why you should and shouldn't go ahead and pierce a child's ears. It is really up to you to decide, as the guardian of your child, what is best for her.