to think piercing of childrens ears should be banned

My dd is nearly 4 and is determined about doing a lot of things but that doesnt mean they should be done. She is desparate to be left on her own like her bog brother is sometimes. Now she will be one day when she's older so why not leave her now? She knows the dangers but understands and is prepared for it. I doubt she'd cry at all.

cylonbabe-clothes arent permanent,how can you compare clothe to piercings?

i dont think abuse is too strong a word when you are talking about holding a screaming toddler down to willingly do something that will cause them pain,without considering their rights atall.

I took my niece to get her ears pierced. She was about a fortnight under four at the time. Her other aunt had been talking to her for weeks about taking her to get her ears made 'pretty' and was planning to take her to a shoddy local 'jewellers' to have it done. My niece was by this point determined that she wanted it doing, so in the name of avoiding infection I asked her mum if she'd like me to take her to get it done with gold at a decent outlet. Her mum agreed, so thus the ears were pierced with gold studs, the aftercare explained and appropriate gubbins procured so that the ears could be kept clean. My niece is seven and a half and has never had an infection in either ear.

However, as a personal choice I would rather not have taken her, I just wanted to be a good aunt and try to avoid the icky green ears.

My own daughter can ask for her ears to be pierced all she likes, but I shall inevitably suffer from selective hearing until she is about ten.

Agnes

has a child been injured or worse from getting an ear pierced

I think it partly depends on what cultural point you are looking at it from - some happily pierce children's ears and others recoil from it as being unnatural.

FWIW, some people see circumcision as assualt if it was done to a man as a baby. Can't regrow a foreskin as easily as holes can be neglected and close up...

I agree with you there, but as parents it is down to us to be responsible, as you can't trust others to be.

Waiting for posts telling me how irresponsible I am to let DDs have ears pierced...

But if Claires are letting people have their ears peiced with non gold earings, surely they are being iresponsible?

But if Claires are letting people have their ears peiced with non gold earings, surely they are being iresponsible?

I think that ear piercing is supposed to have health giving/acupunctural benefits? It is one of the Hindu ceremonies to welcome a child into society? Less painful than circumcising little boys I would imagine.

In Claires, you chose the earings you want your child to have. I would personally not go for the cheap option in this choice, as it is irresponsible to not use gold (I think some kind of steel is OK too, but not sure). If you are going to let your children have it done, get it done properly and keep the ears clean.

It should be banned, it always makes me want to cringe when I see young girls with piercings

I read recently that in just one hospital (edinburgh I think) they see a child a week with infections due to piercings, mainly because gold wasn't used. I would never use Claires when my daughter finally gets hers done because they don't always use gold and also when I was younger no jeweller would pierce a child under 3, whereas Clares are quite happy to do babies.

Babies and toddlers scream because they don't understand what is going on, and it must be pretty scary. In my posts, I have been referring to my children who had theirs done age 4. They didn't scream. They wanted it done. I didn't hold them down and they were warned it may hurt. And yes, it does look pretty and they are really pleased with their earings.

"I find it almost laughable that people are comparing a pair of pretty sparkly studs on a child to hitting them with a cane, abusing them, tatooing children, etc. Let's get some perspective! "

It is a matter of taste whether you think bits of metal stuck into flesh look nice.

Have you asked the baby if they think the studs are pretty? Its one thing to pierce the ears of a six year old who can choose to cooperate, its another to pierce the ears of a child who isn't old enough to walk.

If it is so painless, then why do the babies scream? Why is it necessary to pin down a toddler to pierce their ears? I expect the poor baby is terrified as it has no idea what is happening.

There is the potential for the ears to get infected and cause the child more unnecessary pain. A baby cannot to consent. Unlike immunisations or an operation there is no medical benefit.

What the original poster described is outright child abuse.

Ear or other piercing is an old tradition often related to status, wealth or as a rite of passage. And afaik gold studs are used not hoops or cheap metal.

That's a good question Mrs Scavo. When I used the term "cosmetic" procedures, I was referring more to things that are done for reasons of fad or fashion, rather than those done for corrective reasons.
If a child is born with a severe disfigurement, such as cleft lip, or has a milder problem, such as particularly protruding ears or misaligned teeth, then I don't think anyone would object to the parents approving corrective procedures on behalf of the child, as the purpose is to make the child's quality of life better.
Piercing a baby's ears does nothing for his/her quality of life. It is purely for fashion - and that's what I find objectionable. It is not the same as dressing a child in faddy clothes; it is a permanent and potentially disfiguring procedure.

As well as the overwhelming tastelessness of small children wearing ear-rings, early ear piercing is linked to nickel allergy which can cause unpleasant rashes and itching.

Child abuse is a bit strong though!

I haven't got my ears pierced but if my dd wanted hers done as a teenager, I wouldn't have a problem with it as long as she understood about keeping them clean.

I find it almost laughable that people are comparing a pair of pretty sparkly studs on a child to hitting them with a cane, abusing them, tatooing children, etc. Let's get some perspective!

I think it looks chavvy on small children tbh. It is also silly putting hoops or ones that can catch on a baby. Not sure if should be banned though. I would let my DD's have it done about 9-10 yrs upwards. I had to wait till about 12 also.

Would having a 5yo ears pinned back be an abuse of power, 80smum

earings on women are considered the norm in a socitey. so parents dont want their dd to be the only ones left out. so they pierce their ears for them. they think/feel that the younger this is done, a) they will feel less pain b) they will get so used to them that they wont play with them putll them etc etc, so wont have accidents etc c) it done young enough, the parents will be able to ensure the area is kept clean and sterile and infection free.

it's no different to buying your child similar clothes to everyone else. so for example, if everyione else in school was wearing high street clothes, most parents would send their dc to school in homespun.

I agree that just because something is done for 'cultural' reasons does not necessarily make it right. I loathe ear piercings on babies, it is sooo grim. Still hoping someone can explain what the cultural justifications for baby ear piercing are so I can try and understand

What are the cultural reasons though - I genuinely do want to try and understand if there is a religious reason why people would do this to a baby?
When your beautiful baby is placed in your arms and you count each tiny finger and toe, marvel at their eyelashes, smile at their tiny nose, when you get to their gorgeous shell-like ears do you suddenly stop and say ' oh yes, a nice pair of gold studs will look just lovely in those ears!!!'

I took DD with me when I had mine repeirced last year or year before. I have had them done at 10 and then 13 and both times they healed over after several infections. At 30 odd I thought I would try again. DD was about 4 I think. It hurt. It was really sore. It went through scar tissue from previous piercings and it really did hurt. DD saw all this. She still remembers, and now says she won't have hers done ever, not even when she is a 100