Ear piercing for babies

Mom Tina bought these gold earring in her daughter's initials from Hearts and Arrows Jewelry

PHOTO BY courtesy of Tina de Guzman

Ear piercing is common practice anywhere in the world for the purpose of accessories like earrings. And, here in the Philippines, it's a commonly accepted practice for babies although whether their ears should be pierced or not given their inability to give their consent or dissent is another article altogether.

Lawyer Tina de Guzman, a mom of two, had her daughter Anna Zofia's ears pierced at 4 months old by her pediatrician. "I considered for a bit whether to get her piercings or not but didn't dwell too much on it because she can also make that choice (whether to keep or remove her earrings) later on," she said.

"[The doctor used] topical anesthesia on her ears, then after 30 minutes, the piercing was done using a "gun," she said. The whole procedure took about half an hour, and her daughter had no idea what was happening the entire time.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) requires parents to wait until their child is at least 6 months old to get their ears pierced, and it is assumed the older the child is, the more responsible she will be in caring for the wound to minimize the possibility of an infection. The area must be cleaned regularly and kept dry. Other than this, it's best to leave the piercing untouched to avoid "accidents."

Here are the red flags that something is wrong with your child's pierced ears. If these persist and don't show signs of improvement within a few days, see your pediatrician immediately.