Why this doctor would NEVER pierce her young child's ears
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Aneira Davies
Social and newsletter writerThe mum and doctor said there were three things she wouldn't do when a child is young, and explained why
A mum has caused a debate among parents for explaining why she'd never pierce her children's ears when they're young.
US-based doctor and mum of two Dr Tania Elliott shared her absolute no-nos when it comes to young children, as she explained all to followers in an Instagram video.
And, as well as using a certain kind of antibiotic treatment and never letting them wear shoes inside the house (that one we get), the mum also had a strong opinion on ear piercings.
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'Never pierce their ears when they're young'
The US-based mum said there were three things she would NEVER do when a child is young.
'Never pierce their ears when they're young', Dr Tania Elliott (@drtaniaelliott) explained in her video, which she titled '3 things I would never do as a doctor and a mom'.
'An allergic reaction can happen'
Parents who took to the comments section quizzed why this was the case.
'I’m curious why no on the ear piercing?,' asked one.
And a second wrote: 'I have the same thought. Even though I’m against ear piercing at a baby’s age, I’m curious to hear the reason too.'
In the caption, Dr Tania shared her reasons why, adding that piercing young kids ears is 'one of the biggest reasons that so many people have a nickel allergy and can't wear costume jewellery'.
She went on to say that 'while babies immune systems are developing and the skin is pierced, the body mounts an immune response'.
And added: 'The next time it is exposed to anything containing nickel, an allergic reaction can happen. Remember, nickel is present in stainless steel, silver, and gold below 14K, in addition to many foods.'
But others pointed out that not all jewellery contains nickel.
'You know you can use metals as gold or surgical steel. It doesn't have to be nickel,' added one.
And the issue divided many others in the comments too:
'To each their own 💕,' said one.
While a second added:
'They're still growing! Why would you do that?? And it's dangerous, they can hurt themselves.'
Does all jewellery contain nickel?
Nickel is not always present in jewellery in the UK.
The Body Jewellery website states that the UK follows the Nickel Directive – a regulation that 'restricts the amount of nickel that can be present in piercing jewellery and dictates the method for measuring the nickel released from any such metal'.
This is because, the website adds, 'approximately 10% of the population has a sensitivity to nickel and this is caused by skin absorption of nickel ions, released from nickel containing materials'.
As such, the Nickel Directive was brought in to combat this, by limiting the amount of nickel that has a 'direct and prolonged contact with the skin; with additional regulations specifically for products that are used in body piercings'.
What do the experts say?
And medical experts were in agreement with Dr Tania – and not just because of the metals used.
Netmums resident GP Dr Kenny Livingstone, who is also the founder of on-demand GP service ZoomDoc, said that he doesn't advise piercing a young child's ears because of a higher risk of infection.
He says that while there is not any official guidance on when a child should get their ears pierced, there are 'increased risks of infection with young children playing with their ears after piercing'.
He adds that piercings can also cause 'pain and discomfort' and that there's a 'risk that they will catch any earrings on things which could cause disfigurement and scarring'.
Dr Kenny adds: 'Children's ears are still growing and any disfigurement will affect them for a lifetime.
'I usually advocate waiting until children are able to make their own decisions on any piercing, as opposed to it being decided by parents.'
Can lead to infection
Dr Hana Patel, NHS GP and GP Medico-Legal Expert Witness, meanwhile, said that the decision rests with parents, but that ear piercing is a fairly safe procedure, as long as it’s carried out by a licensed practitioner.
She explained that piercings require aftercare, and to be kept clean, 'in order to avoid simple bacterial infections'.
The danger here, she adds, is that infections 'could possibly lead to blood poisoning or toxic shock syndrome in severe cases'.
And there are other worrying factors to consider too.
Dr Hana adds:
'Children under 4 years may touch the earrings a lot. Playing with the earring with dirty hands can lead to infections.
'Younger children also can get the earrings out and put them in their mouth. This can lead to swallowing or choking on them.'
'Parents often wonder what a good age is to have ear piercing done. It is best to wait until a child can play an active role. Most often, this is past age 8,' explains Dr Hana.
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