Ear piercing is one of the most common forms of body modification, and it is extremely popular in cultures all around the world. Earrings can be a great accessory to any outfit and help make a great fashion statement. While it is one of the easiest ways to change your appearance, even if only slightly, there are some risks and complications that can come along with piercing your ears.

Although these complications can be minor, they can be detrimental depending on the age of the person getting their ears pierced. Healthline reported that some physicians recommend waiting until babies are around 4 months old as this is typically the time when they have received their two tetanus shots.

Over the years, it’s become more common for people to pierce their baby’s ears before they’re even old enough to consent to the idea. Due to the inevitable pain and potential health risks associated with baby ear piercing, many people have spoken against allowing parents to continue to do this. Many people are in fact against piercing a baby or child’s ears too young. Waiting until children are older to get their ears pierced can be challenging, especially considering that it can be part of one’s culture.

A new mom has been sharing some adorable photos and videos of her daughter, Lara, on TikTok and Instagram. The baby was born on Jan. 20, 2022. However, instead of receiving positive comments under her posts, the mom has been criticized for piercing Lara’s ears, especially because she did it just one day after Lara was born. This sparked a huge online debate, with people questioning if this was good parenting or not. People all over the world have chimed in with their opinion on Lara’s ear piercings.

It’s common for new parents to share photos and videos of their newborns as they’re extremely excited about the many adventures that parenthood brings. One mom posted a video in June 2022 of her daughter Lara on TikTok with the caption: “The time past (sic) too fast. Missing you being this small.” The video showcased her daughter, presumably at the hospital and a more recent clip where she was held by someone.

However, back in May 2022, the mom uploaded a video captioned, “1 day vs 3 months,” and showed what her baby looked like when she was only 1 day old compared to 3 months old. Something that stuck out to many viewers was the fact that Lara’s ears were pierced when she was just 1 day old.

Many people left comments criticizing the mom for her choice to pierce Lara’s ears. One person said: “Why shouldn’t they get a choice if they want their ears pierced or not? I am gonna let my babies decide when they understand these things.” Another person said: “OK but like why? She’s a baby! She doesn’t need them! I have (a) 7-month-old girl and I say hard no. Maybe when she’s older.”

However, other people argued that it was up to the mom to decide. One person said: “I got my ears pierced at 3 months old. My mom got hers done same day in the hospital. Leave the choice up to the family. We love our piercings.” Another person added: “Love how she has her ears pierced! Honestly I’d do the same.”

There is still an ongoing debate happening about who should get to make decisions like this, but many people agreed that they just wanted what was best for the baby.

Despite the criticism the mom has received for several months, she has continued to upload photos and videos of her daughter Lara. The majority of this media — if not all — still highlights the fact that Lara has her ears pierced. The baby also has different earrings on in the different photos and videos, showing that someone behind the scenes is switching them out.

Surprisingly, Lara and her mom have garnered plenty of followers. The Instagram account has over 382,000 followers, while the TikTok account has a whopping 4.2 million followers.

A TikTok from July 9, 2022, showed Lara looking around adorably with her small hoops on display. The comments were pretty positive, as one user wrote, “she is so cute 🥰” Another said, “She is an angel.”

However, the videos showing Lara with her ears pierced when she was just 1 day old have received some mixed messages, with plenty of people criticizing Lara’s mom for her decision to pierce the baby’s ears.

One person asked: “How is that ear piercing even legal? Thought the age was 3 months.” A TikTik user replied: “They do it at the hospital. They asked my daughter if she wanted to pierce my granddaughter’s ears.” Another person added, “Someone said they do it for their culture.”

However, there were some positive comments among the harsh ones, showing that it’s really up to the parent or parents to make their own decisions. One user said: “Personal opinion… She is adorable and I totally love the earrings… Who cares what other people say… We live one life…”

What do you think about this situation? If you have your ears pierced, when did you get them pierced? Let us know, and feel free to pass this along to your loved ones.