It is best to pierce your child's ears in early autumn. How to saddle it correctly so as not to infect the wound and avoid complications, says Dr. Komarovsky
September is considered the best month to get your baby's ears pierced. It's not so hot outside that the wound will fester. And at the same time, it is still not so cold as to put on a hat that can cling to the earring and injure the puncture site. However, the time of year is not the main thing in the issue of ear piercing. At what age should you do this? What precautions to take? What earrings to choose and how to properly care for the wound? Pediatrician Evgeny Komarovsky told about this on his Youtube channel.
At what age is it better to pierce the ears
Doctors advise against piercing the ears of children under three years old / istockphoto.com
There are no strict recommendations on this matter. Many parents believe that ear piercing at an early age (up to three years) is less traumatic for a child from a psychological point of view. However, this is true in relation to the "old-fashioned" methods - when our ears were pierced by a nurse in a polyclinic with a gypsy needle. In the modern world, where the manipulation is carried out with a special pistol or stapler, and even then they are handed a lollipop and a certificate, the problem is
psychological trauma fades into the background.There is also a version that piercing the ears over the age of 11 can lead to the formation of a keloid scar at the puncture site. A small study has been conducted on this in America, but the data, frankly, are not enough. There are an incredible number of people in the world who pierce their ears, noses, navels and cheeks as adults. If the problem of scars were global, there would be much more information on this.
Evgeny Komarovsky believes that from the point of view of tolerance and respect for the child, the optimal age for ear piercing is the age when the child asks for it himself. Not at the suggestion of mom or grandmother, and not because all the neighbour's children did it. But from the point of view of medicine, the ideal age for this manipulation is when the child can independently, without the help of adults, take care of the puncture site. If you add these two conditions, then it is best to pierce the ears of children aged 6-8 years.
How to prepare your child for ear piercing
The child should be able to take care of the puncture site by himself / istockphoto.com
Whatever age you choose for manipulation, it is important to observe several rules before the procedure. First, the child must be absolutely healthy. If, on the eve of the scheduled date, he has a cough or runny nose, a rash, or other signs of allergies, postpone ear piercing so as not to burden the child's immunity once again.
“Ears need to be pierced when starting vaccinations against tetanus and hepatitis B have already been carried out,” emphasizes Evgeny Komarovsky. - Before the procedure, it is advisable to carry out a standard clinical blood test to determine the number of platelets and clotting time. This will reduce the potential risk of bleeding. The third rule is that all this should be done on certified equipment and under normal conditions. This should be done by a specially trained person. "
How to properly care for your pierced ears
Don't wear fancy earrings until the wound heals / istockphoto.com
To avoid complications after the procedure, first of all, you need to choose the right earrings. No "medical" alloys, silver and, moreover, "sputtered" iron - Komarovsky advises using the lightest possible gold earrings. You can take the rings - it will be easy to scroll them during the healing of the wound. However, they should be very small in diameter so that they do not cling to hair and clothing. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises to choose smooth gold "studs" without stones for the first earrings.
During the first 4 days, the puncture site must be disinfected every 3-4 hours. For these purposes, rubbing alcohol is best suited. You can also apply an antibacterial ointment to your ear twice a day (morning and evening). Please note that it is very undesirable to change earrings until the wound heals - the earrings inserted initially should be in the ears for 4-6 weeks. Also, do not forget that the earrings need to be carefully scrolled: at first, once a day, then at least once a week.
You will also be interested to read:
Ear piercing in early childhood: pros and cons
Ear piercing site inflamed: how to treat a piercing infection
