Circumcision
Historically, circumcision has been practised by those of the Jewish and Moslem faiths for religious reasons. Circumcision for non-religious reasons has gone through various stages of favour and disfavour. There appears to be no medical reasons for circumcision of an infant.
The discussion of whether or not to have a male child circumcised usually results in varying opinions from family, friends and physician. You will likely find this both confusing and frustrating. The decision about circumcision is up to you and your partner. If you are concerned about the boy looking different from other children or his father, remember that implications of circumcision or non-circumcision are no greater than other natural physical differences, such as hair colour, build and size.
The advantages of choosing not to circumcise are mainly the avoidance of the risks of circumcision as a surgical procedure, i.e., bleeding, infection and surgical trauma, as well as the pain.
At birth, the foreskin is tightly attached to the head of the penis and normally cannot be retracted or pushed back. The foreskin of many children is spontaneously retractable by five years of age, while the foreskin of others may not be retractable until several years later. Retractability usually develops naturally without any treatment. Pushing the foreskin back before it is ready and thus breaking the adhesions, may cause infection and could cause tightening of the foreskin around the head of the penis. The penis should be washed daily, without pushing back the foreskin.
The procedure is performed by a physician and only takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Healing takes place in seven to ten days. The procedure is painful to the baby because no anesthesia is used. Please indicate your decision to have your baby circumcised as soon as possible so that the necessary arrangements can be made.
If the foreskin has been removed surgically, care of the circumcised penis includes using Vaseline on the front of the diaper to prevent excessive drying and to prevent the penis from sticking to the diaper. If the circumcised area sticks to the diaper, do not pull the diaper off. Soak it off. Check frequently for bleeding or any sign of infection.
If the Plastibell method of cirumcision has been used, leaving a plastic ring on the foreskin, the baby can be bathed and diapered just as if he had not been circumcised. The ring will fall off by itself in five to eight days. If you notice any unusual swelling, the plastic ring has not fallen off in eight days, or if the ring has slipped onto the shaft of the penis, notify your doctor immediately.
After the circumcised area has healed, normal bathing with soap and water is recommended.
Note: frequent diaper changes will help to prevent irritation or infection of either the circumcised or uncircumcised penis.
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