In some cultures, ear piercing is considered the norm and in fact, a female infant without pierced ears is very uncommon. There are some pros and cons to piercing your infant’s ears.
For many, ear piercing has a deeply rooted cultural meaning. Evidence dating back to over 6000 years ago indicates that ancient civilizations practiced piercing of their infant’s ears. Many Aboriginal, Nordic and African cultures participated in this process.
The Hindu culture is another where it is a common practice to pierce children’s ears. There is a ceremony called Karnavedha for babies of both sexes. The children are twelve days old when their ears are pierced. Piercing a hole in the lower lobes of the ear is said to help distract evil spirits. Additionally, they believe there are acupuncture benefits as well.
In the Christian culture, ear piercing has been mentioned in the Bible and is believed to be a sign of faith for some Christians. The same is true for Latin American Christians who pierce their infant’s ears as well.
Ultimately, the decision has to whether or not you should pierce your baby’s ears is up to you. If you do decide to have their ears pierced then there are a few considerations to make in terms of hygiene and the type of earring used.
The type of earrings used for piercing should be at least hypo-allergenic studs which are much larger and will eliminate allergic reactions. Once the piercing is fully healed, then you can take your child on the hunt for some flashy little diamond earrings. But wait for the healing process to complete before removing the original piercing studs. Prematurely removing the studs can let the holes heal completely closed. You can find a great variety of infant diamond studs online. If you want a very precious keepsake you can get studs with a small diamond setting, and then your child can hold onto them for her children! These earrings can be passed down for many generations.
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