Circumcision

It’s a boy!

After your son arrives, the nursery staff will likely ask if you plan to have him circumcised. Parents choose whether to have this procedure done or to leave their son’s foreskin intact. This may be an easy decision for some parents while other parents struggle to decide. We encourage you to learn more about circumcision to help you make an informed choice.

What is circumcision?

Circumcision is a procedure that removes the skin that covers the tip of the pens called foreskin. The procedure takes about 10 minutes and is usually performed by a doctor in the nursery before going home from the hospital. Some families choose to have their son circumcised and others choose to leave the foreskin intact.

Why does someone choose circumcision for their son?

Parents may choose to circumcise their baby for cultural, religious, or cosmetic reasons. Other men in the family may have had it done. The decision to perform circumcision is up to the parents. There are some health benefits from newborn male circumcision, but the benefits are not great enough to recommend that all baby boys have it done.

What are the benefits of circumucision?

Slightly lower risk of urinary tract infections in the first year of life.
Lower risk of cancer of the penis (already extremely rare).
Slightly lower risk of sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis, human papilloma virus, gonorrhea, chlamydia and HIV. However, using condoms provides greater protection against these diseases.
Occasionally a child will need circumcision later in life for medical reasons (3-5% of boys by age 3 years).

What are the risks of circumcision?

All surgical procedures, including circumcision, has possible risks. Complications from circumcision are rare and usually minor. They may include:

Bleeding
Infection
Poor healing leading to a poor cosmetic outcome of the penis
Injury to the glans, shaft, or urethra of the penis.
Irritation of tip of penis causing trouble urinating

Complications occur in 1 in 200 to 1 in 500 circumcised newborn males (0.2-0.6%) and are most often minor; the two most common are mild bleeding and local infection.

More Questions Answered:

Is it painful?

We take several steps to minimize pain during the procedure. A numbing medicine called lidocaine will be injected at the base of the penis to minimize pain. Also, he will suck on a pacifier or your finger with sugar water to distract him during the procedure. The lidocaine injection will last an hour or two after the procedure. We recommend on demand feedings, skin to skin, swaddling, and sucking on a clean finger as other ways to decrease pain.

Is there any reason that our son would not be able to have a circumcision?

Sometimes a circumcision to be delayed or postponed. Babies that are born prematurely need to grow before they can have a circumcision. In this case, circumcision is usually done before the baby leaves the hospital. Sometimes a baby is born with a birth defect of the penis and a specialist may be consulted before circumcision can be performed. If there is a history of bleeding disorders (i.e. hemophilia, von Willebrand’s), further evaluation may need to be performed.

What happens if we decide to circumcise our son?

Let your physician know so she can discuss the best timing for the procedure as well as review the risks and benefits. We recommend having it done in the hospital prior to going home. You sign a consent form for permission to perform the procedure.

When it’s time for the procedure, your son will be brought to the nursery. After the doctor cleans his penis, she will use small needle to inject the numbing medicine at the base of the procedure. Our nursery also uses sugar water for babies and a pacifier to minimize his pain. Once the procedure is finished, about 10 minutes, the doctor will cover his penis with a Vaseline and gauze. Afterwards, the nursing staff will check him again several times to make sure he is not having any significant bleeding or other complications. Your doctor will check the circumcision at visits to monitor the healing.

How do we care for the penis after circumcision?

You will be shown how to cover the tip of your son’s penis with Vaseline and gauze after each diaper change for 3 days. This will keep the penis from sticking to the diaper. Avoid diaper wipes until the penis is completely healed as they can irritate the skin. At first the penis will appear red and swollen then you may notice a soft, yellow scab in a few days. This is normal and will go away after one week.

Are there any problems that can happen after circumcision?

Problems after circumcision are very rare. Call your baby’s doctor if:

Your baby does not urinate normally within 6-8 hours of circumcision
There is persistent bleeding
There is redness around the tip of the penis that gets worse after 3-5 days.

How long does it take for the circumcision to heal?