Ear piercing is a rite of passage that marks a critical stage in your baby’s life. It generates a lot of anxiety among parents who imagine all sorts of things that can go wrong with the child.  The parents are rightfully worried about the pain that the child may have to undergo and the possibility of infection.

If your baby is otherwise healthy, it is best to wait till the age of four months to ensure that her earlobes are developed and that she has received two doses of tetanus vaccination, at least (DPT).

OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR EAR PIERCING

Jeweler

Most parents wait till the child is a few months old, and then get the child’s ears pierced with a jeweler who uses a gun, to place a gold wire that is then replaced with earrings later.

Unless the jeweler takes all aseptic precautions while loading the ear stud on to the gun, there is a risk of infection.

If the material used to pierce the ear is not pure gold but has any amount of nickel, then there is also the risk of developing allergic reactions.

Surgeon

Another good option is to do it surgically. In this, after applying a topical anesthetic to the earlobe for about 30 minutes and sterilizing the area, the ear can be pierced by any of the two methods:

1. Suture Method
   A sterile needle is used to drive a sterile thread through that is replaced after six weeks by an ear stud of your choice.

2. Gun Method
   A Calfon gun or similar is used to fire an ear stud across the earlobe with the post creating a hole in the earlobe.

What type of studs should I use?

Ideally, the best is no metal at all, but definitely, no nickel. You can use titanium or nickel-free stainless steel or gold that is at least 14 karat. All equipment must be sterile.

How do you ensure that the holes are symmetric?

It is best to mark out the spot taking careful measurements before piercing. Many times, the ear lobules are not perfectly symmetrical. After the points are marked out, please have a look and see if you like the looks before the actual piercing is done.

How should I take care of the baby’s ears after piercing?

For the first 48 – 72 hours, the hole is necessarily an open sore. So do wash your hands, before touching the area. Clean the front and the back with rubbing alcohol or Betadine solution twice a day for the first month and then once at night or after a bath for the next month. Move the ear stud or earring around.

After a bath, dry the area around the piercing so that it does not stay damp and encourage fungal infections.

If you change the earrings, you should clean the area with alcohol or Betadine solution.

What are warning signs of infection?

If you spot any redness or pus formation or the area is sore, then get back to me at the earliest. If the infection is mild and you report early, it may be possible to save the ear piercing by using a strong local antiseptic ointment.

If the infection is severe, then it may be necessary to remove the earrings and put the child on oral antibiotics and repeat the procedure after 6 – 12 months. Very rarely, if the child comes in late, we have seen the backing of the earring get embedded in the earlobe itself. This is very difficult to remove and may require short anesthesia to avoid trauma to the child.

Have a look at our video that explains the ear piercing techniques in great depth. You will also hear about the experiences of parents and children who have undergone the ear piercing procedure by both the methods