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Circumcision for baby boys: Weighing the pros and cons
Other considerations
Circumcision may not be an option if your son has certain medical conditions, such as an abnormality of the penis that requires surgical treatment. In this case, the foreskin may be needed for repair. Circumcision doesn't affect fertility, nor is circumcision thought to enhance or detract from sexual pleasure for men or their partners. After a circumcision, it may be impossible to re-create the appearance of an uncircumcised penis.
The procedure
Circumcision is often done in the hospital nursery. It may also be done in an outpatient setting within the first few weeks after birth.
Your son will lie on his back with his arms and legs restrained. After the penis and surrounding area are cleansed, an anesthetic will be injected into the base of the penis or applied to the penis as a cream. A special clamp or plastic ring will be attached to the penis, and the foreskin will be removed. Afterward, the penis will be covered with an ointment, such as petroleum jelly, and wrapped loosely with gauze.
The procedure takes about five to 10 minutes.
Circumcision care
It usually takes about seven to 10 days for the penis to heal. The tip of the penis may seem raw at first, and you may notice a yellowish mucus or crust. A small amount of bleeding also is common the first day or two.
It's OK to wash your son's penis as it's healing. Change the bandage with each diaper change, and apply a dab of petroleum jelly to the tip of the penis to keep it from sticking to the diaper. If there's a plastic ring instead of a bandage, it will drop off on its own — usually within a week. Once your son's penis heals, wash it with soap and water during each bath.
Problems after circumcision are rare. Contact your son's doctor if:
- Your son doesn't urinate normally within six to eight hours after the circumcision
- There's persistent bleeding or redness around the tip of the penis
- There's foul-smelling drainage from the tip of the penis or crusted sores fill with fluid
If you skip the circumcision
If you choose not to have your son circumcised, simply wash your son's penis with soap and water during each bath. There's no need to clean beneath the foreskin until it retracts on its own, often by age 5. Then teach your son to clean beneath the foreskin during each bath — gently pull back the foreskin, clean the area with soap and water, rinse and pull the foreskin back over the head of the penis. After each bath, pull back the foreskin again to dry the area.
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