More than 40,000 people have pledged their names to a petition in the UK calling for the banning of ear piercing for babies and toddlers. The issue, which has also been raised in the House of Commons in the Westminster parliament, is being described as a “form of child cruelty” by the 38 Degrees campaign, which claims that the piercing “serves no purpose other than to satisfy parents’ vanity.”

The online movement was stated by Susan Ingram, who has challenged the Tory government to ban parents from piercing the ears of their children and babies, because the infants are unable to consent to it.

Across the Irish Sea, there is currently no legally binding minimum age applied to minors seeking to receive a tattoo or piercing, although the industry’s union has issued guidelines to its professional members that parental consent must be sought before receiving the custom of someone under the age of 18.

On the 38 Degrees petition webpage, it says the practice of piercing children’s ears inflicts severe pain, and that “Other forms of physically harming children are illegal – this should be no different.”

Some comments posted at the bottom of the petition maintain that while piercing might inflict pain, it causes no lasting damage to the earlobes of the babies, and that pierced ears are an intrinsic part of many migrant cultures of naturalised British citizens.

On this evening’s The Right Hook, George will be talking about the issue of ear piercing in babies and children with the Laura Haugh, contributor to MummPages.ie. Tune in live at 5.20pm.

In the meantime, we’d like to know your thoughts on piercing babies ears, so please take a moment to answer our poll.

If you cannot see the poll, please follow this link.