Friday, January 30, 2015

Are There Any Benefits To Newborn Circumcision?

By Ines Flores


Circumcision is one of the most ancient practices that have been passed over generations for centuries. Although the reasons as to why the practice is carried out vary between communities and generations, the basics of how it is performed have remained largely unchanged. Ancient communities carried out the cut mainly for religious and cultural rites of passage but today a great majority of people do it for medical purposes. Newborn circumcision is the main form of practice that is practiced among the Jews and in many western countries.

Proponents of circumcision have advanced a number of arguments to support the practice. One of these benefits is the fact that circumcised boys have a lower risk of suffering form urinary tract infections as compared to their uncircumcised counterparts although recent scientific research finding show that this benefit is minimal. As they grow into adults and become sexually active, circumcised men are said to have a higher sexual sensitivity than those that are uncircumcised.

Commonly, many residents in Toronto, ON prefer to circumcise their babies within the first 10 days before leaving the hospital. Not only is this convenient to the mother but is also easier for the baby. Older children and adults have more developed tissues and tend to stay in hospital longer as compared to the newborns. Pediatricians and obstetricians commonly perform the procedure because they are the first attendants to the baby.

There are a number of medical conditions that may prevent the procedure from being carried out immediately. Prematurity requires that the baby waits for some time for weight gain before they can be considered for the surgery. A number of boys are born with abnormalities of the urethra popularly known as hypospadia and epispadia. Whenever these conditions are noted the procedure will be delayed and the foreskin will be used for repair of the defect.

The complications that are encountered are minimal and quite easy to manage. Local site infections and bleeding from the site are the most common. The infections respond well to treatment when antibiotics are instituted early. Unless the bleeding is excessive, bandaging is often successive. Pain during the surgery is controlled by local or general anesthesia.

After the procedure, the penile area should be kept as clean as possible to keep infections at bay. Gentle cleaning with warm water should be done at least once daily. There may be some irritation by diapers especially in the first three to five days but this is usually relieved by application of petroleum jelly on the wound.

Healing takes between 7 and 10 days on average. Some babies may have some redness that persists for sometime but this tends to heal over time. Ensure that you be on the lookout for fever, bleeding or production of pus. The appearance of any of these signs should prompt you to look for medical intervention. Failure to pass urine for more than 12 hours after the procedure is also a cause for concern.

The uncircumcised penis requires that one maintains a high level of hygiene. Wash it is gently daily as you wash your baby. Do not struggle to retract the foreskin if it appears too tight. The foreskin takes about 3 years before it can be fully retracted. Just pull it back gently and clean the area that is accessible.




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