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Original poster

Baby Ear Piercing

69 replies

kelnsoph · 04/03/2011 12:59

After watching a baby no more than 6 months old screaming in agony whilst having her ears pierced in a Claire's Accesories shop window I was distressed and disgusted that this was allowed to happen to an innocent baby for the simple sake of the mothers vanity. I spoke to the NSPCC, who are following this up and they and I were shocked to discover there is in fact no legal age restrictions on this happening. I was also told by the shop assistant that it is "no different than a child having thier jabs", as many I'm sure will agree there is a world of difference between a potentially life saving vaccination and mutilating a baby for superficial reasons. Babies have the right to grow up and CHOOSE whether or not they wish to have their ears pieced when they are at an age to make an informed decision. The pain and potential infections they are subjected to must be prevented, this is an area that has been terribly neglected by the law. Please help this move forward so the children who have no voice to stop this can be heard. Thank you.

To sign the petition please follow this link

www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/stopbabypiercings

OP posts:
Original poster
kelnsoph · 04/03/2011 13:01

www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/stopbabypiercings

OP posts:
Original poster
kelnsoph · 04/03/2011 13:02

In case the link above doesnt work. Please use this one Thank you

www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/stopbabypiercings

OP posts:
proudmumof1 · 05/03/2011 21:13

i totally agree with you, i think its awful and 2 make things worse my husbands nan is trying to force me to have my dd ears peirced.... shes 1 year old!! big NO NO whether it means falling out or not im the parent not her

Nataby · 06/03/2011 16:56

You may want to flame me here, however in some cultures this is how you identify girls from boys. It's not about vanity at all. The baby will not remember, whereas it will remember when they are older. Infections are not gauranteed following this and can be avoided.

I am west African, hubby is English and this was a big issue for us, amongst my community, ppl will comment on girls not having earrings. It's hardly like female cicumsion, you may not agree or do it for your child. It's very judgie though to conclude it's about vanity. Not everyone does pink or blue for gender clarification. One of the duties a godparent does in my culture is supply the initial earring which is used within 6 weeks.

Our compromise was to give my daughter 1 perching at 8 months, had to defend the decision contstantly though whenever I visited home.

fifi25 · 06/03/2011 17:03

I got my 2.7 year olds ears pierced 8 weeks ago. Im really surprised claires would do it as most will not do them now. It all turned out horribly and i wouldnt advise anyone to do it. The reason i got them pierced is as my other 2 wanted theirs done about 6/7 when all the other girls start getting them done. It take much longer than 6 weeks to heal. Mine were excluded from p.e for about 4 weeks. I thought i would get the youngest done then i would be easier in the long run with school. I dot mine done when i was 2. It didnt bother her at all and she did cry. 8 weeks later she had to be put to sleep to have them surgically removed after a nasty infection. It was awful for her

fifi25 · 06/03/2011 17:04

didnt cy and sorry for the typos multi tasking

confuddledDOTcom · 06/03/2011 17:18

At the very least if you're going to do a baby, don't go to Claire's! Go to a place that doesn't use a gun, the pain and bad side effects of a gun, plus it's a big scary loud noise next to their ear.

My eldest is getting done for her 5th as she's been begging for two years and I think she's at an age to understand, but I will be looking for someone who doesn't use a gun.

itshappenedagain · 06/03/2011 18:09

i recently had my DD's ears pierced at claire's, she was 6 months and 2 weeks at the time, they ensure that they had had their vacinations, they give you products to clean and instructions on how to clean them correctly so that they don't get infected. I also took my 6 year old cousin to have hers pierced on the same day, she screamed, cried and refused to get the second one done, untill my DD had had hers done, whereas my daughter didn't flinch...so there goes your theory of choicei too had my ears pierced at about the same age, i have friends who have pierced their daughters ears when they got home from the hospital...again a cultural preference.its a personal choice as to what you as a parent deem correct for your culture. lots of things could be deemed as harm, and as a parent you make decisions for your child on a daily basis, same applies for religion do you force that on a child too?

confuddledDOTcom · 06/03/2011 19:43

No I don't force religion on my children because it's not irreversible. They go to Sunday School now, not baptised because we believe in believers baptism (but then infant baptism has no place in the Bible but even if it did it isn't irreversible) when they're old enough they can decide to not go to church if they don't want to or go elsewhere or become baptised.

The problem with Claire's is they use guns which have a higher chance of complications. You're story doesn't change any "theory" because it's a fact more complications are connected with a gun. What you've done is prove that the plural of anecdote is not data.

Dirtbagsmum · 06/03/2011 19:50

I think there should be a age restriction, at least to a age where they can understand what is happening, I remember when i got my 2nd holes done(around 10) and they were sore for a few days after and when laying on them at night or catching them when changing clothes etc, I think its cruel to do that to a 1 year old, poor little mites.

proudmumof1 · 06/03/2011 20:15

i had mine done when i was 5, possibly 6 i believe but i was at the age when i wanted them done and asked myself, id prefer my dd asked me than me just getting them done. i think there should be an age restriction aswell Dirtbagsmum

MsHighwater · 06/03/2011 20:23

I'm trying to get my head round the OP's implication that it was as a result of her contact that the NSPCC learned that there is no lower age limit for ear piercings.

catdoctor · 06/03/2011 20:23

It is now illegal in the UK for a lay-person to dock a puppy's tail or remove its dew-claws; the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has deemed it unethical for a vet to perform either proceedure with an exemption in genuine working dogs.

Dogs have better protection than babies?

Discuss

FranSanDisco · 06/03/2011 20:23

The problem with banning something that is often a cultural practice is that it will be done elsewhere - grandmothers will be pulling out the knitting needles and other such instruments Shock. Change comes through education. Many of my Asian friends think having babies ears pierced is more hygenic as they won't fiddle with them. When I was a teenager my friend pierced my other friend's ear with a sewing needle - vile!!

MsHighwater · 06/03/2011 23:21

At a recent birthday party that my dd (5) attended, one of her classmates came to grief on the bouncy castle when her earring was pulled out of her earlobe. Blood everywhere. This is the main reason why my dd will not be getting her ears pierced (not that she's asked yet) for many years to come.

MrClaypole · 06/03/2011 23:27

I signed your petition, I can't believe hurting a baby in this way is legal.

just out of interest, what do you do with it when you have reached your target? Do you send it on to someone?

winnybella · 06/03/2011 23:28

Bit of a non issue, imo.
It's not very painful and with proper care ears shouldn't get infected.
I wouldn't do it to my DD. as I don't think it's a great look on babies/toddlers, but I don't think it amounts to child abuse.

Spandangle · 06/03/2011 23:51

agree with winnybella- I would never have my babies ears pierced cuz I think it looks rubbish but surely the NSPCC have more serious and consequential issues to address.
Confuddled- ear piercing is reversible-you just remove earrings and holes grow over; far less lasting damage than religion!
Docking a puppies tail is cutting through an extension of the vertebrae and spinal column btw.

BluddyMoFo · 06/03/2011 23:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

confuddledDOTcom · 07/03/2011 00:33

What "lasting damage" have I caused my children then?

It might be possible to leave them out and they grow over but what about the damage caused by guns? What about the damage caused when they get ripped out? I don't actually ever remember ever saying anything against piercing other than the use of guns, maybe you can find a different quote to prove it:

"At the very least if you're going to do a baby, don't go to Claire's!"

I should count up how many times I say gun...

ConstantVigilance · 07/03/2011 20:19

My DP keeps nagging me to do our DD's ears because his DM is pressuring him. He doesn't understand why I don't want to because he said in his country all baby girls have them done.

I keep putting him off because I can't bear the thought of it, it seems so cruel!

Abip · 08/03/2011 10:37

My Grandmother insisted we had our ears pierced at 3 because of culture. I dont remember having them done and it has done me no harm. Confused

However, my daughter wanted hers done and nagged for 2 years. I really wanted to hold out till she was ten but she had them done at 8 years old.

Like may others I wanted to get them done professionaly but the shop was full. We did have them done at claires as it was a special day out.

She wanted them done seperately and it was a nightmare. She cried and would not have the second done.

Eventually she agreed as i said she would look like a boy with one Grin However, the girl in claires could not handle the situation which is why I would definately go to a tatooist in future as they are more able to handle the situation as they do it all day and thats where I had my piercings done.

Original poster
kelnsoph · 09/03/2011 21:04

Dear MsHighwater,

There was no implication of this at all, the man I spoke to after speaking to his supervisor was as shocked as I was. There was no indication in anything I said that implied I had 'informed' the NSPCC. The point was made to demonstrate even an charity preventing harm to children was surprised, not that I had somehow done them a great service.

I'm sorry that you misinterpreted it in this way
Best wishes

To everyone else, Thank you for all your comments and opinions. This has proved a thorny issue with a few people and as ardently as I do support this I always think it's important to learn from the other side too. Many many thanks to all that have signed this petition so far

NB: as far as religion is concerned we are agnostic (open minded) towards the issue, therefore NO we do not impose any religion on her. Should she come home one day declaring absolute faith in Buddism, Hinduism, Catholism, Christianity, Judaism etc etc we will be fully supportive of this.

OP posts:
MsHighwater · 09/03/2011 21:39

kelnsoph, you impose your lack of religion on your dd, which is fine if you have no religion. You are bringing your daughter up to believe the same things that you think are true. So am I (I'm a churchgoer). There is no moral superiority in "not imposing religion on" a child.

Back to the topic, though. I have not signed the petition and I do not intend to. I thoroughly dislike earrings on small children but banning it completely is daft. It can be done hygienically and with no more than transient pain, which is how it should be done if it's to be done at all.

Original poster
kelnsoph · 11/03/2011 22:44

Ms Highwater,

The issue of religion wasn't in response to anything you had said. I was trying to answer another persons question.

With all due and much respect you seem to be terrible antagonistic, I don't imagine there is any moral superiority to not imposing religion. In fact I hold no "moral superiority" over people who choose to pierce their babies. This petition is simply my OPINION on the matter. I posted this petition on this site (completely new to me) to see if anyone wished to sign it, if they do, that's wonderful, if they don't that also is absolutely fine. Please don't take my stance on this issue as a personal attack nor that I feel, for want of a better phrase 'high and mighty' as this appears to be how you are interpreting me. It is simply not the case

I fully respect your decision not to sign. I hope you will also be able to respect mine

Best wishes

OP posts: