Would you like to have your infant daughter’s earlobes pierced?  You might have some difficulty finding someone to do it for you.

Some pediatricians have recommended against having the ears pierced until the child is old enough to take care of them herself.  Usually this meant waiting until the child is school age.  However, I have rarely seen complications from infant ear jewelry, and my impression is that problems are no more common in infants than in older children, if care is taken.

There are potential complications.  Here are some of the more common ones.

Dangling jewelry may get hooked on something and get ripped out of the earlobe; or the infant’s fingers may clutch and remove jewelry, leading to a choking hazard.  I recommend screw-back earrings for infants and toddlers.  (Clip-on jewelry should not be used until the child is old enough to avoid a choking hazard, usually by school age.)

Infection can set in, especially in the first 6 months after piercing; I recommend removing the posts, cleaning and coating them with antibiotic ointment, and replacing them in the earlobe twice a day for at least 6 months, until the channel has epithelialized.

A metal allergy can develop, giving an inflamed appearance or a nasty discharge.  (Sometimes a doctor’s examination is needed to distinguish this from infection.)  For the first year, you should avoid 14 carat gold, silver, nickle, inexpensive “white metal,” or any plated metal.  18 carat gold, surgical steel, or titanium posts are better, although they are more expensive.

Occasionally, the earring or the back will get pulled too deep into the tissue of the earlobe.  This can be painful, especially if it becomes infected, and usually requires medical attention to remove.

Who performs ear piercings?  Gone are the days when it would be done at home with a hot sewing needle and a slice of raw potato!  In the past, I have recommended consulting a plastic surgeon; a plastic surgeon pierced my own daughter’s earlobes when she was two months old.  However, it appears that our local plastic surgeons in the Delaware area will no longer perform this procedure.  So you might be reduced to having it done in the local shopping mall, an alternative I don’t find appetizing.  I suggest that you size up carefully the skill and experience of anyone whom you contemplate piercing your daughter’s ears, and ensure that sterile (preferably disposable) equipment is used.

A patient suggested this facility: (see their comments, below)

www.charlottesearpiercing.net

David Epstein, MD