Should Britain ban baby ear piercings?
An online petition calling for baby and toddler ear piercings to be made illegal has reached over 28,400 signatures on the social change website 38 Degrees.
The petition is addressed to Minister for Children Edward Timpson, and asks for a minimum age requirement to be put in place, preventing parents from having their infants' ears pierced. It is addressed to Minister for Children Edward Timpson, and aims to reach 30,000 signatures.
The issue has recently become hotly debated after the TV show Blinging Up Baby showed mum Jerri piercing her four-month-old girl Valentino's ears, saying she thinks youngsters "don't remember the pain".
Dr Tim Ballard, vice-chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: "Piercing the ear lobes of babies and toddlers, in the vast majority of cases is unlikely to cause lasting damage, but that is not to say it does not cause the child pain during and after the piercing.
"We would suggest that having your child's ear lobes pierced should remain the choice and responsibility of parents and indeed, in some cases, culture will impact on this decision. However, we would strongly advise against having your child pierced anywhere else than on the ear lobe.
"If a parent does decide to have their child's ear lobe pierced, it is essential that this is conducted properly, in hygienic conditions, by a suitably qualified person and that proper aftercare guidance is followed."
