One of the first medical decisions parents of a baby boy need to make is whether or not to have him circumcised. For many parents these days, it’s a decision fraught with confusion and controversy.

In the United States, infant circumcisions used to be performed routinely. Nowadays, people are asking more questions, and it’s no longer a ‘given.’ In fact, the percentage of boys circumcised in the United States dropped from 90% to approximately 60% during the 1980s.
When a baby boy is circumcised, the foreskin of his

penis is removed, leaving the head of the penis exposed.

The origin of the procedure is not known, but it has been practiced for over 4,000 years in many parts of the world. For some cultures it has religious significance.
In the United States, infant circumcision is performed for a number of reasons. Many parents worry their son will feel awkward if he looks different from his father, brothers and male friends. It is also widely believed that a circumcised penis is easier to keep clean and that accumulation of smegma (white, waxy material found on the head of the penis) can cause inflammation or infection.
Opponents of infant circumcision contend that there is no medical reason for the procedure and no benefits gained from it. Tests show that infants feel pain from circumcision, although the operation is brief. Opponents also believe an uncircumcised child will not feel awkward if his parents are comfortable with their decision. And, they say, simply keeping the uncircumcised penis clean will prevent infections.

The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that studies show medical benefits to circumcision, including reduced risk of urinary tract infection and cancer of the penis.  The AAP’s stand on the issue is that although infant circumcision has potential medical benefits, they are “not compelling enough to warrant the AAP to recommend routine newborn circumcision.” As with any minor surgical procedure, there is a small risk of complications. And, while it has been shown that infants do feel pain from the operation, new anesthetic techniques are available that help minimize that pain. If parents decide to circumcise their newborn, the AAP recommends that pain relief should be provided. The AAP advises parents to make the decision they are most comfortable with in consultation with their pediatrician.

In making this decision, parents should consider their own religious and philosophical feelings about the procedure and what impact their decision might have on their child. Another thing to keep in mind is that some insurance carriers consider infant circumcision elective surgery and don’t cover the cost or pay only a portion of it. 435 words

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What is Newborn Circumcision?

Newborn circumcision is a surgical procedure to remove the foreskin (fold of skin) that cover the head of the newborn’s penis. This circumcision procedure is commonly for baby boy, but in some part of the country do this procedure for their baby girl like in Muslim country due to religious reason.

It is believed for long time ago that newborn circumcision or male circumcision was came from Egyptian cultures. The first newborn circumcision practiced by Hebrews as a promise of Abraham to God. For Muslim prior to Islam Religion, newborn circumcision is required for bodily purification and cleanliness. This circumcision was mentioned in their Muhammad’s Hadist, a collection of deeds and sayings of the prophet Muhammad. Beside Muslim/Islam and Jewish that do this circumcision practice as a religious ritual, Australian Aborigines and African tribes (South African Xhosas) do for the same reason.

Is there any newborn circumcision performed for non-religious reason?

Nowadays, people do circumcision practice for many reasons. Some of the reasons are personal, cultural and medical reason. Up to 70% children (baby boy) in United States are circumcision,and approximately 40% in Canada. They do the circumcision practice for non-religious reasons.

Why they do circumcision practice for their newborn for non-religious reason?

They Circumcise their baby boy because they believe that:

1. Infant Circumcision could protect their baby from HIV/AIDS.
2. Newborn Circumcision could reduce Sexual Pleasure at the Future.
3. Circumcision to baby could protect the baby from urinary tract infections.
4. Its could reduce the risk against a rare cancer which less than 1 in 100,000 cases of Penile Cancer.
5. Newborn circumcision practice could protect baby from infections under the foreskin.
6. Easy to clean the newborn’s genital
7. Could Prevent Phimosis, this is a condition in uncircumcised boy that makes impossible to retract the foreskin. (My baby boy circumcised at 3 months old because of this Phimosis too, read my experience at the bottom of this page)

There are still many Pros and Cons of circumcision benefits above. So, in this modern days, many Doctors circumcision experts do not recommend people to do this newborn circumcision as a routinely practice. For the first believed benefit above, that neonatal circumcision could protect our baby from HIV/AIDS, I want to share you a little information from the WHO Regional Office for Africa recent studies about this newborn male circumcision for HIV prevention in sub-Saharan Africa region.

“From that study WHO and UNAIDS international expert consultation on male circumcision and HIV prevention concluded that there is unfolding evidence from randomized controlled trials, undertaken in Kenya, South Africa and Uganda, that safe male circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexual transmission of HIV infection from women to men by approximately 60%. The trials also showed that male circumcision performed by well-trained medical professionals in properly equipped facilities is safe.” (source:An information note from WHO Regional Office for Africa, 12 September 007).

Are there any Risks to do infant Circumcision?

There are some risks of the circumcision practice to our baby boy:

1. Infection after circumcised.
2. Surgical mistakes
3. Anesthetic Complication.
4. Bleeding
5. Painful
6. Death.

But, do not so worry about the risks, because the percentage of the risks are really small, less than 1 % from all of the circumcision surgical practice.

Neonatal circumcision surgical is really painful for our baby if did without local or general anesthesia. More than thousand years circumcision surgical practice was performed without any anesthesia. Many people have still believed that their newborn do not feel pain during surgical. I believe that is not true, Do you?

One interesting research about newborn circumcision surgical from Kuwait Medical Journal 2004, 36 (4):275-277 state that Circumcisions done under local anesthesia is a far more humane approach than surgery without any anesthesia. Subcutaneous ring block is a simple, fast,effective and safe technique to provide pain relief in newborn undergoing circumcision. The found that The subcutaneous ring block is an simple technique causing almost no pain (if given cautiously), and can be easily taught to junior doctors without any complications.

Are there any medical reasons to do newborn circumcision?

My baby boy was circumcised at 3 months old due to medical reason because he got a Phimosis problem. Because of this Phimosis problem, my baby boy’s penis completely unable to retract his foreskin. I remember that my baby did a circumcision surgical procedure using general anesthesia. My baby boy success through the surgical,but after the anesthetic medical was gone, my baby boy begin to feel the pain, and he cried very loud almost half an hour. So I am believe that newborn circumcision is painful. If surgical done without any anesthesia, your baby will feel pain during and after the surgical. And If the infant circumcision done using any local o general anesthesia, your baby will feel the pain after the surgical.

Here is my circumcised baby boy photo at 3 months old:

Beside phimosis, your boy must do the circumcision for medical reason if he got these problems:
1. Balanitis, recurrent swelling of the head of the newborn’s penis.
2. ParaPhimosis, inability to replace the foreskin once retracted, but still able to urinate with a small volume.
3. Infection problem under the foreskin.
4. Recurrent inflammation of the infant’s penis.
5. A foreskin that is too tight and causes pain.
6. A very long foreskin that can cause discomfort.

Last word from me, according from the facts above about newborn circumcision and many pros and cons of circumcision, this is very personal decision to do or not the circumcision surgical practice for our newborn baby. If your baby does not have a problem with their genital for medical reasons of circumcision, please discuss with your husband/wife to make a decision about newborn circumcision. All the best.

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