These Facts About Ear Piercings in Babies

"How come it's still baby pierced ears? No pity? ”Ear piercing on babies has long been applied in Indonesia, even to this day. However, it never hurts to pay attention to the following points before doing ear piercing on your baby. Ear piercing on a baby girl is usually done a few days after she is born, of course, at the request of parents. Piercing the ears of a newborn baby may be done for cultural reasons or beautify the baby. In addition, there are also benefits of ear piercing in infants seen from medical glasses.

Benefits of Baby Ear Piercing

Pierced ears at an early age will surely get closer attention or care. Parents will certainly try to make sure the baby's ear is not infected. In addition, the younger the child is, the less likely the appearance of scarring or keloids in the pierced ears. According to an article from the Journal of Pediatrics, keloids or thick scars appear more often in the ears of children who are pierced when they are over 11 years old. Keloids can be difficult to treat, often requiring injections and surgeries to remove them.

What You Should Look For When Doing Ear Piercing on Babies

If you want to do ear piercing on your newborn baby, it is advisable to pay attention first to the following things:

• Baby age

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that ear piercing be done when the child is old enough to take care of his own piercings. Other opinions suggest that ear piercing is done as a baby, but it is necessary to wait until he reaches 2-6 months old. Although rare, infection can occur if the baby is less than two months old, especially skin infections. Whatever the age of the child, there must be a risk for ear piercing. But, the risk can be minimized by doing ear piercing carefully, as well as taking good care and cleaning wounds.

• People who do ear piercing

Ear piercing in infants is recommended to be done by a doctor. The doctor will use a sterile piercing tool made from hypoallergenic surgical steel.

• Piercing needle

It is recommended to use a piercing needle made of gold, silver, platinum, titanium, or stainless steel. These ingredients can minimize the risk of infection, rashes, and allergies. Avoid metals containing nickel and cobalt, because metals with a mixture of the two materials often cause allergies.

• Shape of earrings

Choose earrings that are round, very small, and the front is very flat. The cover of the earrings must cover the entire back of the earrings. In addition, it is not recommended to wear dangling earrings on the baby, because the baby can pull the earrings off and hurt themselves, or put them in their mouths and choke. Dangling earrings or circular earrings (hoops earring) that are too high are also likely to be stuck in clothing, jewelry, and adult hair, or can be pulled by other children.

• Pain

Although done in just seconds, the baby will certainly feel pain if ear piercing is done without anesthesia (anesthesia). If you don't have the heart, you can ask your doctor whether your baby's ear skin can be anesthetized before the piercing is done.

Caring for Pierced Baby's Ears

After the baby's ears are pierced, do not remove the earrings for six weeks or until the wound is dry. Apply the alcohol or cleaning solution recommended by your doctor around the ear lobe twice a day, and turn the earrings at least once a day. After each child has finished bathing, dry the area around the piercing to prevent it from getting damp. After six weeks, the piercing will usually dry out and you can replace the child's earrings so the holes don't close. If after ear piercing there are symptoms of infection, allergies, ear bleeding, suppuration, and inflammation, or if the ear is torn because the earring is loose, consult a doctor immediately or take it to the nearest hospital. Ear piercing on babies is not prohibited, but don't forget to pay attention to its safety and cleanliness. In addition, the baby's ear piercing should be done by a doctor or midwife, to minimize the risk of infection or other complications.