AFTER a row between Kerry Katona and Lucy Beaumont, the comedian who claimed it should be “illegal” to pierce a baby’s ears, an allergist has spoken out.
Medical professionals are warning parents why they shouldn’t pierce their babies’ ears.
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Dr. Tania Elliot of New York is a board-certified physician for 15 years and a mother of two.
She often uses it Instagram to share health advice and parenting advice, where she has over 96.5k followers.
In a recent viral video, she talks about ear piercing – and how it can have long-term consequences if done when children are very young.
Dr. Elliott warns that this can lead to infection or the development of a nickel allergy.
There is currently no legal age restriction for ear piercing in the UK or US, but a legal guardian must be present if the person is under 18.
“Piercing your child’s ears when he or she is a baby can cause bacterial infections that require antibiotics, abscesses, and damage to ear tissue and cartilage when done incorrectly, Dr. Elliott told What’s The Jam.
“Especially with certain commonly used devices and when correct sanitization protocols are not followed.
“It can happen at any age, but babies with developing immune systems are more prone.
“Ear piercing is [also] one of the most common causes of nickel allergy, which can cause skin rashes.
“As babies’ immune systems develop and the skin is pierced, the body mounts an immune response.
“The next time you are exposed to anything containing nickel, an allergic reaction may occur.
“It is safe to pierce your child’s ears when he or she is old enough to care for them, to prevent infections and understand not to touch or pick at the ears while they are healing, and with the use of nickel-free devices and jewelry.” .
As for the perfect age? Dr. Elliott says it’s okay for kids aged seven and up – and it’s a rule she follows herself.
The mother has two children, aged 10 and 12, and was very careful when choosing the beautician and the earrings.
She said: “We reviewed how to care for the earrings responsibly and I was there to sanitize them twice a day.
“We went to a place that uses nurses and manually pressurized devices.
If you pierce your child’s ears, consider using a needle or manually pressurized device instead of a piercing gun, as you have no control over the pressure of the device and it could cause cartilage damage.
Dr. Tania Elliot
“I also recommend this be done by a medical professional, such as a nurse, who is trained in safe cleaning and sanitation practices to reduce the risk of infection.
“We also chose 18K gold jewelry, so it didn’t contain nickel.”
Dr. Tania Elliot is not alone with her concerns about ear piercing.
Last week, comedian and actress Lucy Beaumont took it a step further with a post she made on X, [formerly Twitter]saying he ‘would like to boycott piercer Claire’s earrings’.
Tagging the well-known street piercing shop Claire’s Accessoriesthe mother of one asked, “Why isn’t it illegal to pierce a baby’s ears? @claires.
“I would like to boycott them to put an end to this, it’s mental, I recently saw a baby go from smiling and happy to a state of complete shock and pain… plus the risk of infection.
“Babies don’t need earrings!” he said.
Safe practices when piercing a child’s ears
- Age: Traditions vary, however, it is clinically recommended that parents wait until children are able to care for and help care for the piercing on their own.
- Respectable place: Be sure to select a reputable location with sterile practices. If you are unsure, ask about sterilization procedures
- Drilling Technique: A needle piercing technique is recommended over the use of gun piercing for children because it tends to reduce the risk of infection and scarring.
- Toys: Choose earrings made from hypoallergenic materials such as sterling silver and 14, 18, or 24 karat gold. These types of metals are unlikely to cause an allergic reaction. AVOID Nickel.
- Aftercare: Keep the earrings in for four to six weeks and clean the area with saline solution twice a day. Even if your child is old enough, don’t leave this responsibility entirely to him
- Monitor: It can take several months for piercings to heal completely, so keep an eye on both lobes and cover the piercing when playing sports until it’s past the six-week mark, when you can remove the piercing for added safety.
For Dr. Anita Elliot, it’s the nickel and the risk of allergies and infections that worries her most.
In addition to jewelry, nickel can be found in belt buckles, some toys and even foods such as soy, chocolate, nuts and canned goods.
In addition to the piercing advice, Dr. Elliott says she has another, more common rule: don’t wear shoes at home.
This is not only to prevent dirt in the house, but also to minimize the risk of dangerous bacteria sneaking in.
She added: “They carry all kinds of dirt, viruses and bacteria. “Keep your home in a shoe-free zone.”
His video has almost 10,000 likes, however, some users criticized the doctor for not considering cultural differences.
“I wouldn’t want to pierce my son’s ears because I want him to decide on his own,” another person added.
Deb asked for more information, saying, “Doctor, why don’t you want them to wear shoes indoors.”
Another person shared their own experience, adding, “My mom delayed getting my ears pierced until I was in elementary school and I have reactions to any earring with the reminder that it was done along with fear of needles and trauma.
Stress is sometimes worse.
I refused to do the same and made sure my girls finished as quickly as possible from birth.”
Jewharra said: “This is what happens when people pierce their babies with cheap jewelry.”
Alicia said: “Cuban girls get their ears pierced at a very young age.
Nowadays after injections, but when I was born in 1958, I was probably 6 weeks old. I’ve never heard of a problem with this. Why don’t you recommend this?
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
