What about newborn circumcision?

Circumcision is actually more of a cultural “American thing”. Aside from religious groups that practice newborn circumcision, not a whole lot of the global community circumcises there newborn son. In the United States, newborn boys are circumcised primarily because their fathers or brothers are circumcised. There is no definitive medical advantage to circumcision. In our practice only about 30% of the newborn boys are circumcised.
Now to the more technical stuff about circumcision…

Definition

Circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin
Description
The physician will numb the penis with local anesthesia before the procedure starts. The numbing
medicine will be injected at the base of the penis.
There are a variety of ways to perform a circumcision. Most commonly, the foreskin is pushed from the
head of the penis and clamped with a metal or plastic ring-like device.
If the ring is metal, the foreskin is cut off and the metal device is removed. The wound heals in 5-7 days.
If the ring is plastic, a piece of the suture is tied tightly around the foreskin. This pushes the tissue into a
groove in the plastic over the head of the penis. Within 5-7 days, the plastic covering the penis falls free,
leaving a completely healed circumcision.
The baby may be given a sweetened pacifier or lollipop during the procedure. Tylenol (acetaminophen) may
be given afterward.
Risks
• Risks related to circumcision:
• Bleeding
• Infection
• Redness around the surgery site
• Injury to the penis
• Poor cosmetic result. Scarring
Some research has suggested that uncircumcised male infants have an increased risk of certain conditions,
including:
• Cancer of the penis
• Certain sexually transmitted disease including HIV
• Infections of the penis
• Allergic reaction to iodine or lidocaine
• Philmosis (tightness of the foreskin that prevents it from retracting)
• Urinary tract infections
• the overall increased risk for these conditions is thought to be relatively small.

There you have it, parents, but the decision to circumcise or not is entirely yours.

Craig Endo, MD