- Please submit your baby stories, freebies, or savings:
- Email Us!
- Free Baby Stuff
- Free Baby Books / Magazines
- Free Baby Clubs
- Free Baby Coupons
- Free Baby Diapers
- Free Baby Food / Formula
- Free Baby Items
- Miscellaneous Savings
Circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin that at birth covers the end of the penis. This procedure exposes the tip of the penis and is typically completed in the first few days of life by a doctor. Of course this is not carried out as a routine practice in hospitals and the infant must be healthy and stable. There have been studies that show various medical benefits of circumcision. Conversely, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not believe that these benefits are adequate enough to recommend this procedure for all infant boys. Circumcision is more of a preference than a medical need at this time.
Parents should always choose the best for their children by considering the risks and benefits. Due to higher risks the older a child gets it is recommended that parents make the decision before or soon after their son is born if they want the procedure done. Remember the decision is yours to make.
To Circumcise
Circumcision is chosen for a variety of reasons:
Lower risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Circumcised infant boys have a 1 in 1,000 chance of developing a UTI during their first year; uncircumcised infant boys have a 1 in 100 chance of developing a UTI in their first year. (This is typically due to the fact that uncircumcised infant boys need to clean their penis properly around and in the foreskin, if it has detached, during every diaper change)
Lower risk of contracting cancer of the penis (It should be noted that in all males this type of cancer is very rare)Lower risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (in their adult life), including HIV (which causes AIDS)
Prevention of foreskin infections and phimosis (a circumstance in uncircumcised males which makes foreskin retraction impossible)
Easier to perform genital hygiene
Social benefits
Various parents have chosen circumcision for their sons because “all the other men in our family” had the procedure or because they wish for their sons to feel “different.”
Religious or cultural reasons
Followers of Islamic and Jewish faiths practice circumcision for their beliefs.
Not to circumcise
The choice not to circumcise is chosen for a variety of reasons:
Believing that foreskin is needed
To some cultures it is believed that the foreskin is needed to protect the penis. That without it, the tip of the penis could become irritated or infected and make the opening of the penis to shrink and become too small. Once the opening becomes too small urination problems can occur that may need to be surgically fixed.
Fear of risks
There are rare and usually minor complications that can occur with a circumcision. These include: bleeding, infection, cutting the foreskin too short or too long, and improper healing.
Believing that proper hygiene will lower health risks.
Young boys can be taught proper hygiene that will lower their chances of getting STIs, cancer of the penis, and getting an infection.
Believing that it can affect sex
In some cultures they feel that a circumcision will make the tip of the penis less sensitive, creating a decrease in sexual pleasure later in the child’s adult life.
