The Beckhams have had their two-year-old child's ears pierced, but is it wise for other parents to follow the trend... and are there worse things they can impose on a child? Barry Neslon rep0rots.

YOU can't choose your parents - but they can certainly choose things for you. David Beckham and his wife Victoria said today they had decided to get their two-year-old son Romeo's ear pierced because ''it looks good''. But this is just one of the ways parents can affect their children's lives before their offspring know any better.

There's no statutory age of consent for ear or body piercing in Britain, which is subject to local authority guidelines. The guidelines say that while the age of consent for getting a tattoo is 18 years old, children under 16 can have their ear, nose, eyebrow or navel pierced with parental consent.

Five years ago it was revealed that a ten-year-old girl from County Durham was left permanently disfigured after she tried to follow fashion by having her ear pierced. She went into a hairdressers on her own and paid £2.50 to have a stud put in the top of her ear.

Her ear swelled up and she had to be rushed to Darlington Memorial Hospital. Doctors found that the cartilage in her ear had been split and that she would need an operation to repair the damage.

Clinical child psychologist Dr Judy Hutchings said : ''I'm much more interested in how children behave, how they play, how they form friendships. It should not be about what children look like and more about who they are. Worrying about appearances should come much later.''

Ken Cummins, a community protection officer with Middlsbrough Borough Council, confirmed that it was not illegal to have under 16s pierced but he strongly advised piercing practitioners to obtain consent from parents or guardians before going ahead.

"People should also be aware that piercing involves a risk of infections such as Hepatitis B, so they should always go to a reputable practitioner," he added.

While Romeo may grow up to agree with his dad that ear-rings ''look good'', the England football captain may have more explaining to do when Cruz grows up.

If the 30-year-old's career with Real Madrid stretches on for a few years, Cruz will be faced with the consequences of his parents apparently giving him what is considered a girl's name in Spain. And who knows what psychological problems that could bring on?