Decades ago, newborn circumcision was very common. According to foreign statistics, about 90% of newborn boys received circumcision in 1979, but now, only about 60% of the parents of newborn boys will choose to circumcise their babies.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) also recommends that circumcision should no longer be regarded as a healthy standard procedure.
Should the newborn baby be circumcised? We suggest that parents carefully read the following introduction of the advantages and disadvantages of neonatal circumcision before making a decision.
Why is it not recommended to circumcise the foreskin of the newborn?
From a medical point of view, circumcision is not a necessity.
Prepuce helps to maintain the sensitivity of the glans penis, and at the same time it can isolate the glans penis from excreted urine and feces, helping to protect the urinary tract from infection. Excision of foreskin naturally loses these protective effects.
For non-religious reasons, parents who decide to operate on their babies usually pursue beauty, more like cosmetic surgery.
Some parents may worry that their babies will be laughed at by other children for having foreskin when they grow up. However, if parents decide to let their babies undergo an operation that is not medically necessary just because their babies’ private parts are a little different from other children, we suggest to think twice before acting.
Other reasons why circumcision is not recommended include:
- Surgical complications: Although severe postoperative complications are extremely rare, However, the probability is not zero after all. For example, skin or blood infection, hemorrhage, scar and some surgical accidents. Pain: Of course circumcision hurts, Therefore, doctors will use narcotic drugs to anesthetize local skin. Operation cost: For newborns, this kind of surgery is often unnecessary, which also means at one’s own expense. The decision-making time is short: the neonatal circumcision needs to be carried out as soon as possible within a few days after birth, and the decision should be made at the latest before the baby’s full moon. If the operation is decided only after the full moon, the baby needs general anesthesia.
Is it really good for newborn circumcision?
Apart from religious or aesthetic factors, many studies have discussed whether there is a medical basis for circumcision as a standard procedure in the past few decades.
- Sexually transmitted diseases: Some people think that circumcision can prevent sexually transmitted diseases. But in fact there is no such effect. Male urinary tract infection: Some studies suggest that, Men who did not undergo circumcision had a higher risk of urinary tract infection, But the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not agree. Moreover, In today’s medical conditions, Urinary tract infections are rare in newborns, Even if it does, It is also easy to cure. Balanitis: In order to prevent and treat recurrent balanitis, The hospital may recommend circumcision, But this is rare in newborns, and hygiene is a good way to prevent it. Penile cancer: Once there was a view that men who were not circumcised were more likely to suffer from penis cancer, but now after combing the existing research, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) believes that there is no medical basis for recommending circumcision for all boys.
In fact, whether children or adult men, paying attention to penis hygiene will significantly reduce the risk of the above diseases.
Therefore, there is no medical basis for recommending all male babies to undergo circumcision.
Is there any suggestion for surgery?
In order to correct severe phimosis in some newborns or prevent recurrent balanitis, doctors may recommend circumcision. In this case, circumcision becomes a treatment method and the operation is often more complicated.
However, for newborns, these two situations are very rare. Moreover, paying attention to neonatal hygiene can well prevent balanitis.
If inflammation recurs or phimosis does not improve in childhood or adulthood, circumcision can be performed again at this time.
How to nurse the baby’s foreskin?
Although the foreskin looks tight at birth, the opening is enough for the baby to urinate normally, as long as he pays attention to hygiene when taking a bath.
Every time the baby has a normal erection, the foreskin will stretch and gradually shrink back in the following years. When the baby is older and can take a bath by himself, the parents should tell him to gently pull the foreskin back when taking a bath and clean secretions, so that the baby can correctly understand the foreskin hygiene just like washing his hair and face.
However, parents must not pull the foreskin back when the baby is young, just let nature take its course.
Editor: Yidan