A mom has been urged online to avoid having her 3-year-old daughter's ears pierced despite it being part of her partner's family tradition.
Many celebrities, including Angelina Jolie and Kim Kardashian, have gained attention for having their children's ears pierced in recent years. While there is no specific recommendation on when children should get that done, it is often a topic that draws varying opinions.
In a 2010 survey by ABC News, 27 percent of parents said they would allow their children to have their ears pierced when they were younger than 6, and even 16 percent said that it would be appropriate at 1 year old.
In a now-viral post shared Thursday on the popular discussion site Mumsnet, a parent re-sparked the debate about ear piercing for children. She explained that, according to her partner's family custom, her daughter should have her ears pierced at three months old.
"I was resistant," said the poster. "But if I really had to do it, I would do it myself."
Asking for recommendations on places to try, or what kind of earrings she should choose for her daughter, Mumsnet users rushed to the comments to share their thoughts on piercing at such a young age.
"Just no. Break the tradition," said one of more than 200 comments.
Another reply said: "Don't pierce your poor baby's ears. Leave it until they are old enough to know what's going on, look after their own ears, and make their own decisions."
A user chimed in: "Just say no. You're her mother, you need to advocate for your baby."
"His culture doesn't automatically get to dominate your culture. If you're not happy with ear piercing until your daughter is old enough to care for them herself, that's acceptable too," a commenter added.
There are varying reasons that a parent may decide to have their child's ears pierced, from cultural and traditional reasons to personal preference. But research does point out that there are always risks to piercings for young children.
Published in the Scottish Medical Journal in 2001, a paper on the risks of ear piercing in children concluded that young children are unlikely to be capable of properly caring for a pierced site. Improper care of new piercings can result in infection and embedding of the earring, causing considerable pain and distress.
This is before taking into account the usual risks that come alongside body piercing, whatever the age of the person wearing the jewelry. These include allergic reactions to piercing jewelry, skin infections, bloodborne diseases being passed on by unclean tools, and tearing or trauma during the piercing or healing process.
It is also common for ear piercings, particularly when on young clients, to be performed with a tool called a piercing gun. The Association of Professional Piercers (APP) cautioned against these tools.
"Although gun piercing establishments usually train their operators, this training is not standardized and may amount to merely viewing a video, reading an instruction booklet, or practicing on cosmetic sponges or other employees," said the APP, which warned that piercing guns can cause significant tissue damage.
"Though slightly pointy in appearance, most ear piercing studs are quite dull. Piercings must therefore be accomplished by using excessive pressure over a larger surface area in order to force the metal shaft through the skin. The effect on the body is more like a crush injury than a piercing and causes similar tissue damage."
Piercing guns are also often referred to as non-sterile equipment—this is because the material itself cannot be properly sterilized before use. Instead, the APP recommends finding a trained piercing practitioner who will use a fully sterilized piercing needle to perform any piercing.
Newsweek could not verify the details of this case.
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