A new mother and TokTok user has attracted criticism for her decision to pierce her newborn's ears at just two days old. Lara, who posts under the name @ Laraticaofficial, went viral after sharing a video showing how much her baby had changed after four months.
In the clip, the tot can be seen wearing a silver flower earring while swaddled in a hospital blanket. The mum, who is from Colombia, says neonatologists in the hospital 'pierced Lara's ears', adding: "When they are two-three days old, they don't feel pain like a year or two!"
She claims Lara 'didn't even react' to the piercing as babies' lobes are 'softer' when they're very young. Although a contentious topic in the UK, piercing babies' ears is common practice around the world.
According to WebMD, if you pierced a child younger than three months and they got an infection with a fever, "they would have to be admitted to the hospital".
The website also recommends waiting until your child receives their tetanus vaccine before getting pierced: "Other vaccines do not protect your child against the germs associated with an ear-piercing. Tetanus infections themselves are not common and the risk of getting tetanus from an earlobe piercing is small. However, it's still important to be proactive about your child's health".
