Baby Earrings: Yes Or No?
When the news is received that a girl is about to arrive, many parents or relatives buy the first earrings, which can not be missing in maternity and on the day of birth, to ensure that the nurses make the holes together with the other treatments. But… is it advisable to put earrings on babies ?
Earrings yes, earrings no. It is a very personal and individual decision of each family, which will assess whether it is necessary to put them to the unborn child. However, babies do actually feel pain, even if they don’t know how to express it.
The truth is that, in the past, putting earrings on babies was a custom that has now become an option .
Many parents prefer to avoid piercing their daughters’ ears. They, in the future, will decide whether they want to or not.
This question has sparked controversy and debate that made many parents think. So, baby earrings, yes or no? Discover in this article different aspects of this social practice on girls all over the world.
Experts tell babies about earrings
Obviously, the debate arose on the need to put earrings on a little girl, as well as on the ethics of it. So a question naturally arises: what do the experts think?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting until the baby is old enough to know that her ears are being pierced so that she can decide for herself. In addition, this will allow the baby to take care of it to decrease the risk of infections.
In case parents do not want to wait until their daughter is grown up, specialists advise to wait at least until she is 2 or 3 months old. This is because, having received the first vaccines, the child will have better prepared immune defenses.
In addition, they recommend that the procedure be done in a pediatric or nursing office, and not in a place with a high risk of infection. It is also important that the technique is correct and that the earrings are also taken care of at home.
As for the material of the earrings, it is recommended to choose gold or steel, being materials that cause less allergies. Thus, the risk of itching and, consequently, of infection decreases.
To punch or not to punch? This is the dilemma
Not so long ago, this type of practice was thought to define the gender of the boy and make little girls prettier. In addition, they helped distinguish them from children, having no defined features and short hair. This avoided the annoying question: “is it male or female?”
However, there are many specialists who come together to advise parents to wait. In fact, the lobe can develop differently, so the hole with the needle would be off-center.
In addition, before putting earrings on babies, there is another small complication, especially for new mothers. Some strands of clothes may get caught in the earrings while you are dressing your daughter. Therefore, be very careful to avoid this type of accident.
Baby earrings: are they bad for you?
Although there is a myth that there is no pain in the early days of babies, in reality they feel it too and the reaction is late. “How stupid, nobody remembers it”, some will reply. But no parent likes to see their child suffer.
If you are one of those parents who find it important to convey safety and love to their children, as well as to hear them cry and throw tantrums, even if they do not remember this moment, you will know that the child is experiencing forced and unnecessary pain.
In addition, there are many children who do not cry when their ears are pierced. This is because they are not neurologically mature enough to express pain, despite experiencing it.
A few more observations before deciding
- They are the baby’s ears, not ours. Even if it is difficult to understand, it is his body, so the little one should decide, especially on a minor fact. Give the opportunity to choose about such a personal matter. In the end, if you want your little girl to be independent and able to make decisions, this is the right opportunity.
- There are other ways to distinguish gender. “He is male because he does not wear earrings”, and therefore many girls wore them to be distinguished. Despite this, there are clothes specifically for girls and accessories that can differentiate them. Furthermore, it is not that difficult to ask the name directly to understand if it is a boy or a girl.
- The ears as a representation of the head. According to auriculotherapy, a technique that helps diagnose and treat diseases through the stimulation of different points of the ear, any earring or piercing stimulates the area in which it is located. In this case it is the eyes, so you have to be very careful when drilling holes.
- Respect the integrity of children as people. Because even if they forget, they suffer. And even if they don’t remember, they can grow up with a strange feeling of discomfort for a mere cultural issue.
