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Two year-old Izabelle George of Triangle shows off her ear piercing. Izabelle received the piercings at 3 months of age. Some pediatricians have mixed feelings about the piercings in young children. van Visit the Photo Place

Baby's lobes a site for sore ears

Opinions are mixed when it comes to piercing the ears of a baby.

By JIM HALL

Date published: 2/23/2003

Opinions mixed on infant ear-piercing

When one of her patients asks Dr. Roxanne M. Allegretti about piercing the ears of tiny babies, she answers, "Do you want my medical opinion or my personal opinion?"

Ear piercing is usually safe, the Fredericksburg pediatrician says, as long as the baby is at least 3 to 4 months old, and the puncture wound is cleaned regularly.

But personally, she adds, "I think it's a bad idea for babies."

This division of opinion is common when the topic is whether to place jewelry in the ears of infants.

Pampers, the diaper company, asked its Web-site users whether infants should have their ears pierced. More than 88,000 people voted. The respondents were evenly divided, with the "no" votes slightly outnumbering the "yes" votes.

Many physicians, such as Allegretti, are not excited about the idea, but they also acknowledge that ear piercing for infants can be a family and cultural tradition, and with certain precautions, can be safely tolerated.

As the American Academy of Pediatrics has said, "If the piercing is performed carefully and cared for conscientiously, there is little risk, no matter what the age of the child. "

For Delmi George, piercing the ears of her baby continued a family tradition.

"I got my ears pierced early," at age 2 months, George said.

George, a resident of Triangle, decided to pierce the ears of her daughter, Izabelle, when the child was 3 months old. Izabelle turned 2 years old last month and has graduated from gold studs in her ears to tiny hoops. She has had no problems with either.

Delmi George was born in the United States, but her mother and father were born in Central America. It is common for Spanish-speaking families to pierce the ears of their children, she said.

When Dr. Pamela M. Mancini, a Fredericksburg pediatrician, encounters parents like these, who want to pierce the ears of their babies, she asks them to wait until the children are at least 6 months old and have had two tetanus shots. Mancini also stresses the importance of keeping the wound clean to reduce the chance of infection.

"Most babies tolerate it well," she said.

Dr. B. Anne Bradshaw, another Fredericksburg pediatrician, takes a more conservative approach.

Bradshaw recommends to parents that the child be old enough to decide for herself if she wants earrings. By that age, the child also will be able to participate in care of the ear.

Waiting also eliminates other risks, Allegretti added. An infant could swallow one of the pieces if the earring falls out.

"I have seen babies choke," she said.

Allegretti has also seen other children play with an infant's earrings. And she has had to use pliers to remove the embedded pieces from a baby's ear.

"There's a lot of risk involved," Bradshaw said. "I'm more of a fan of waiting."

--Newsroom Librarian Andi Markley contributed to this story.

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Date published: 2/23/2003