Keep your family safe from germs and bacteria
Ears: Piercing baby's ears
As a first time parent I want to know what to do about my wife wanting to pierce our baby's ears. We’ve got a beautiful, seven-month-old baby girl and we don't know if we should have this done at such an early age. Do you have any suggestions?
INFECTION: This is probably the most common problem. Infections may set in on the ear lobe if the equipment used to pierce the ears is not sterile, if the earrings have dirty posts, or if the earrings are attached too tightly to the lobe. Many of these infections may be avoided by keeping the first earrings in for about 6 weeks, cleaning the ear with rubbing alcohol daily and making sure the earring backs are not too tight. If the ear becomes red, pus forms around the site, or the baby gets a temperature without an obvious cause, you should contact your doctor.
KELOID FORMATION: When the skin is injured, a small scar forms after the scab which is usually so small you don’t notice it, or it fades away with time. However, some children, particularly African-American children, may be prone to large scars known as keloids. Those prone to forming keloids after injuries may develop large bumps at the site of the piercing. If keloids tend to form on the child or there is a family history of them, it is probably best to delay ear piercing.
ALLERGIC REACTIONS: Contact dermatitis (allergy to something that comes in contact with the skin) may occur on the earlobes of those with an allergy to metal. Using 14-carat gold or hypo-allergenic stainless steel earring posts may eliminate this problem.
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