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The decision to circumcise your infant
Whether you're expecting a baby boy or have just welcomed your new little guy into the world, you have an
important decision to make before you take your son home: whether to circumcise him.
By statistics, about 65% of all newborn boys - about 1.2 million babies - are circumcised in the United States
each year. The procedure is much more widespread in the United States, Canada, and the Middle East than in
South America, Central America and Asia. In Europe the procedure it's very uncommon.
When it's based on cultural or religious beliefs the decision is simple for some families. But for others,
the right option isn't as clear-cut. For this reason, before you make a circumcision decision, it's important to talk to your
child's doctor and consider some risk and benefits issues.
If you do opt for circumcision, it's best to perform the operation within the first 2 to 3 weeks after birth,
as it can become more complicated as a child gets older. But the procedure is usually performed during the
first 10 days (often within the first 48 hours), either in the hospital or, for some religious ritual
circumcisions, at home.
In some opinions circumcision appears to have some medical benefits.
But as any surgical procedure does,
it also carries potential risks. These risks are small, but you should be aware of both the possible advantages
and the problems that can be associated with the procedure before you make your decision. Most frequent
complications of newborn circumcision are minor bleeding and local infection. They are occurring in between
0.2% to 3% of cases and can be easily treated by your child's doctor.
An important step of the decision to circumcise your infant is accepting that the procedure can be overwhelmingly painful and traumatic.
Some infants do not cry because they go into traumatic shock from the overwhelming pain of the surgery.
No experimental anesthetic has been found to be safe and effective in preventing circumcision pain in infants
Changes in pain response due to newborn circumcision have been demonstrated at six months of age, suggesting
lasting neurological effects and a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder.
It usually takes between 7 to 10 days for a penis to heal. It's important to keep your son's penis clean washing it
with soap and warm water every time you bathe him. There are no special washing precautions with newly
circumcised babies, other than to be gentle. Call your child's doctor right away if you notice any of the following:
- persistent bleeding,
- redness around the tip of the penis that gets worse after 3 days,
- fever,
- signs of infection, such as the presence of pus-filled blisters,
- not urinating normally within 6 to 8 hours after the circumcision.
NOTE: The Information on this site is provided for information only,
and is not meant to substitute for the advice of your own physician or other medical professional.
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