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Should Ear Piercing For Babies And Toddlers Be Banned?

9 years ago

A campaign to ban ear piercing for toddlers and babies has been launched.

The online petition, created on campaigning website 38 degrees, calls for a ban on ear piercing for babies and toddlers. The campaign information reads:

TO: MINISTER FOR CHILDREN EDWARD TIMPSON
Ban ear piercing for babies/toddlers
Make it illegal for babies/toddlers to get their ears pierced. Set a minimum legal age requirement.
Why is this important?
It is a form of child cruelty. Severe pain and fear is inflicted upon infants unnecessarily. It serves no purpose other than to satisfy the parent's vanity. Other forms of physically harming children are illegal - this should be no different.

A total of 19, 309 individuals have signed the online petition thus far.

Comments from those who have signed the petition include:

"It should be the child's decision as to whether they have their ears pierced or not, as long as they know how to care for it and the consequences if they don't. Babies and toddlers are far too young to make that decision and it causes unnecessary pain for them."

Have you had your baby or toddler's ears pierced, or do you agree that it's an act of cruelty to which a minimum legal age should be applied?

We'd love to hear your thoughts on this in our comments - you can also follow the discussion over on our Facebook page.

Image credit: Morguefile

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Comments

louiselouise
I think babies/tots with pierced ears is tacky looking! Any body modifications (yes, I know it's not akin to a tattoo or hole punch!) should be done when a child is old enough to have an opinion. Having ears pierced isn't painful (as far as I can remember! had mine pierced at 13 years old) but cheap earrings, obviously, can cause great discomfort to little ones who might not be able to articulate it well. Haven't seen hooped earrings on a youngster often, but there's the obvious danger of injury with those, too.
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smallanie
ban it. full stop
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jurgita22
i have had my daughters ears pierced when she was just over 2 years old - and i regret doing it, big time. not only she has a fear of any type of doctor/nurse looking person, with any type of medical tools in their hands,- she also doesn't like places that looks like doctors office- i had it pierced in a salon with loads of white doors near the treatment area so she has a fear of that too. i so wish i never agreed to this- it wasn't my idea to start with- she got given tiny diamond studs for her 2nd birthday, so i kinda felt bad cause she cant wear them... if you have a daughter and thinking to get her tiny little ears pierced- don't! let her decide when and if she wants her ears done.
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Jessicarose2015
I am in favor to keeping this 'issue' legal, infact untouched. I dont hear or see any major bad news, about child ear piercings. Infact, if ears are pierced from birth or from very early ages of life, your ears remain with the hole for a stud for many years, and in many cases this can be usefull, money saving.. Time saving.. Its never really been a problem..
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neuza
My daughter has her ears pierced, she didn't cry and I don't see it as a form of abuse but simply tradition just as I had mine and my mum had hers and so on!
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Paulinefarrington
My daughter has her ears done got them just over a year old and my son has his done aswell who is 13yrs it's a personal choice some people like it and others don't and the people who don't is the ones sho have a lot to say about it
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PetraLF
It should stay as it is. I'm having my 6 months old daughter's ears pierced on Wednesday by doctor with special gun. It can be traumatic if you leave it too late - from birth to about 10 months. And have golden earrings!
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KateCrunch
I don't see why you would want to purposely put holes in your perfect baby's body causing them pain just for your pleasure.
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Natxxx
No!!!!!!! Both my girls were under 6 weeks old , they don't remember a thing and love wearing earrings, my friends daughter age 8 wanted her ears done for her birthday and to this day has still only got one hole done, she was traumatised by the situation, as babies u get less infections, no hair to get caught round them,ect ......
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KateCrunch
If ear piercing can be such a traumatic experience then that's even more reason it shouldn't be for babies!!!
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Jade37733
not at all I had mine done when I was 1 and can't remember a thing. My 2 nearly 3 year old asked for hers to be done I explained it would hurt and she was adamant she wanted them doing so I took her and she was absolutely fine. Each to their own and all that! The wording on the poll isn't very good saying its up to the parents yes it is but it could of just been a simple no. There are people reacting way over the top saying its abuse! There's worse things happening in the world if it was really that bad there would already be laws against it.
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emjae
I had my daughter's done at 6 month old. We felt it was better to get them done when she was younger, just how we felt. It shouldn't matter when they have them done whether they are babies or older. People say it should be the child's decision but at the end of the day it's still the parent that has the end decision as no respectable piercing place will do them without the adults consent.
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rebecca7392
Ban Ban Ban It's disgusting that parents take something so perfect and punch holes in it. I also think it's a class issue. You would never expect Will and Kate to have Princess Charlotte's ears pierced. I completely agree that this is child abuse, serving no purpose to the child other than to inflict pain and long term damage. Horrid and common in my opinion
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HM79
Asian, hispanic, African people are more prone to developing keloids during the ages of 10 years to 20 years, so it should be left to parents to decide when is the best time to have gheir children's ears pierced.
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Tweet34
It should stay as it is. I'm having my 6 months old daughter's ears pierced on Wednesday by doctor with special gun. It can be traumatic if you leave it too late - from birth to about 10 months. And have golden earrings!
Really??! 6 months old?? Sorry but I really disagree with this, it causes pain and doesn't look Nice at all!!! I could never inflict this pain on my children....EVER!!!
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dizzybird33
I had my daughters ears pierced at 6months old. She didn't cry and was over within seconded. I personally believe the younger the child has it done the better it is for them. Her cousin had hers done at 3yrs old. They got infected as she played with them constantly! (Both done at the same place) when a child is young they forget about them being there! If when they are older and don't want them they can remove them. Why take away a parents choice? Next it'll be how to discipline your child or how to dress them! Let the child's parent decide what they think is best for them not society or a bunch of people that have nothing better to do than moan!
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louiselouise
@Jessicarose2015, your quote "Infact, if ears are pierced from birth or from very early ages of life, your ears remain with the hole for a stud for many years, and in many cases this can be usefull, money saving.. Time saving.. Its never really been a problem.." In what way is puncturing a young child's skin "usefull" (sic), "money saving"? I'm not sure I understand your point. They have many more years ahead of them to make a decision about how they look and develop their own style. Ear piercing is merely a fashion accessory, a choice, like a parent choosing a child's clothes or hairstyle (but children DO need to be clothed well and well-groomed). Ear piercing is not a necessity, it is just some parents' ill-placed vanity. I still think it is tacky and I feel sorry for little babies and tots with pierced ears. They have to put up with the discomfort and I don't think, personally, that it looks good. There's absolutely no need to injure their beautiful skin.
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louiselouise
@rebecca7392 you could be right about it being a class issue, you rarely see tots in more affluent areas with pierced ears.
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De80
It breaks ny heart when they have to have vaccinations never mind some thing like this for vanity!!!
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Claire456789
At what point in life did it become everyone's right to judge other people?? Why should you concern yourself with what other people are doing? It has no bearing on your life so why bother with it! FYI, I got my daughters ears pierced on her 3rd birthday because she asked for them to be done. I explained it would hurt and she still wanted them done. She cried when they were done but was smiling literally 2 minutes later and thanked the lady on the way out of the shop. I may not agree with newborn babies having them done, but it's none of my business.
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