Babies with piercings, thoughts?

I know a few people, who decided that their baby, at a young age should and did get their child’s ear pierced. Some people scream it’s child abuse, others think it’s just wrong and others refuse to comment. Thing is whatever you agree with, it’s not your body to mess with to start piercing holes in. There’s so much debate as to what’s right or not, but I personally don’t agree with it.

When I was a child, there were about 4 girls in my class who had ear piercings and I thought it was unfair that I wasn’t allowed. It wasn’t until I was 14, old enough to make a decision like the important ear pierce, that I was allowed to get it done, and even that had to be paid for out of my own money. Seemed fair and totally understandable, especially since it was pretty darn painful. I had my ears pierced in Claire’s Accessories in Hounslow Treaty Centre. I was accompanied by mum and watched by my sister who knew one day it would be her turn.

The reason for my need to post this is because a mum recently shared her decision to get her baby’s ears pierced on the Netmums forum and was faced by a large amount of backlash and criticism. She planned to get her daughter’s ears pierced who was in the babies – 12 months age group and she was worried if the affects of the piercings would make her daughter uncomfortable during breastfeeding. In 2015, almost 30k people signed a petition, set up by a woman named Susan Ingram, believing that ear piercing is a form of child cruelty and pledging for the UK minister for children’s and families to take up the cause. The petition now 3 years on has 86k signatures saying that there should be an age limit before a child can have their ears pierced.

Whatever you decide or agree with, your child should decide if they want it themselves, it is their body after all. Personally I want to wait until Emily is a teenager before she goes down that route. It’s not fair for me to take it upon myself to want to do it to her. Thankfully Sam agrees and although is insistent she’ll stay his little baby forever, when she does choose to do so, she’ll be able to make that decision herself.

Not only should there be an minimum age limit put in place, there are plenty other reasons why a young child shouldn’t have their ears pierced:

• Although some cultures insist on piercing their children’s ears, usually parents are advised to mention it to their doctor. This is due to the complications it can have of your child’s health.
• Even though piercings take only a matter of seconds, a lot of pain and discomfort usually follows as their isn’t any form of pain relief.
• There’s a high risk of infection unless cleaned properly continuously throughout the day.
• Babies can run a fever after a piercing and the area can get very red and swollen if not looked after properly.
• Children love pulling at things and this puts more risk at the area.
• Some piercings can trigger an allergic reaction.

What do you think… Should their be a minimum age to get a child’s ear pierced?

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