If you decide to circumcise your newborn baby boy, you may be nervous about the procedure itself. You may also have plenty of questions about how to take care of your little one as he heals.
Rest assured, your baby's penis isn’t nearly as fragile as it looks, and circumcision isn’t nearly as traumatic as you might think.
Here’s what to keep in mind about newborn circumcision — including how it’s done and how to care for your baby and his diaper region afterwards.
What is male circumcision?
Newborn circumcision is a simple procedure in which the skin covering the tip of the penis, or foreskin, is surgically removed, exposing the tiny opening to the penis through which the baby urinates.
Rates of circumcision in the United States have dipped in recent years. About 58 percent of newborn male babies were circumcised in 2010 in the U.S., down from about 65 percent in 1979, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Preparing for circumcision
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says that the longtime benefits of circumcision (including a lower risk of urinary tract infections, some sexually transmitted infections and foreskin infections) outweigh the possible risks of the procedure (such as excessive bleeding or the area becoming infected afterwards). The group stops short of recommending routine circumcision for all newborn baby boys.
Of course, there are other factors to take into consideration, including cultural traditions and personal or religious beliefs.
Ultimately, the decision to circumcise your child is up to you — and if you want another opinion, you can always talk to your OB/GYN or pediatrician about the pros and cons.
If you do decide to circumcise your child, the procedure will probably be performed in the hospital nursery by a doctor, within two or three days after birth.
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If it's done as part of a religious ceremony, for example in the Jewish faith, the circumcision is often performed by a mohel when the baby is eight days old.
Some babies can’t be circumcised right away. If your baby is premature, for example, or has a medical condition (such as a congenital abnormality), your doctor will likely recommend postponing the surgery.
If your baby isn’t circumcised as a newborn, it’s possible for him to have the procedure later in childhood (or as an adult), although it tends to be more complicated and will likely require general anesthesia.
How circumcision is done
When performed by a doctor, circumcision often only takes a few minutes. In the hospital, a doctor will attach a special instrument (usually a type of clamp) to the penis and remove the foreskin with a scalpel.
Babies are typically awake during the circumcision, but because they’re given a local anesthetic — such as a numbing cream or an anesthetic injection — they won’t feel very much. Your child may also be given a pacifier dipped in sugar water (sucrose), which can help soothe him.
Afterward, the doctor will apply a topical antibiotic or petroleum jelly over the area and wrap the penis with gauze to prevent it from sticking to the diaper.
If you have any questions about the procedure, including what types of pain control medication your baby will receive, ask the doctor. You can also ask to be in the room while the circumcision is done.
Baby circumcision care
It will probably take about seven to 10 days for your baby’s circumcised penis to heal. Until that happens, you’ll need to take the following steps:
Keep it clean
This is the most important rule of newborn circumcision care: At every diaper change, gently clean the area and wipe away any bits of poop you may see. Use warm water and gauze and let it air-dry, which will help prevent irritation.
Stick with sponge baths until your baby’s penis is healed and the umbilical cord drops off. You’ll want to avoid getting the area wet in a bath before then (though clearly it will get damp when he pees, which is not a problem as long as you change diapers as needed).
Keep it protected
After surgery, a bandage with petroleum jelly may be placed on your baby’s penis that usually falls off the next time your baby pees. Pediatricians have mixed feelings about whether or not you need to continue putting some sort of dressing over a healing penis, so ask what your doctor’s preference is.
If you’ve been advised to, you’ll likely be told to smear a dab of petroleum jelly on the tip of your baby’s penis before wrapping a little gauze or bandage around it so the dressing doesn’t stick to the skin.
If your doctor’s inclination is not to use a dressing, you’ll be told to apply a small bit of petroleum jelly or antibiotic ointment after every diaper change for the first day or so and possibly longer, just to keep your baby’s diaper from rubbing against his circumcised penis.
Keep an eye on it to make sure it’s healing properly
It’s okay if the tip of your baby’s circumcised penis is a little red. Yellowish oozing is also perfectly normal — it just means that the body is sending healing fluids to the area. Even a tiny bit of blood on your newborn’s diaper is fine.
Will my baby need to be re-circumcised?
In rare cases, too much of the foreskin is left behind during the original circumcision, and a second surgery (circumcision revision, or re-circumcision) is required. If too much foreskin is left, it can cover the head of the penis, and may appear as if the child is uncircumcised.
If you think there’s too much skin left over, ask your pediatrician or a pediatric urologist to examine it. If your child does need to be re-circumcised, the procedure will most likely be done by a urologist in the hospital.
When to call your doctor
If your baby has any of the following symptoms, let your pediatrician know right away, as they could be a sign of an infection or another problem:
- Persistent bleeding or more than a quarter-sized spot of blood on his diaper
- Redness that gets worse three to five days after circumcision
- Yellow discharge lasting more than a week
- Foul-smelling drainage
- Fever
- Swelling
- Crusty, fluid-filled sores
- Not urinating or dribbling urine within eight hours after circumcision
Once your baby’s circumcision is fully healed, you’re home-free. Continue to keep his penis clean by wiping away any stool that gets on it. Plus, make sure you gently wipe the groove under the head of your baby’s penis at diaper changes and in the tub. Not only will you be keeping him clean, you’ll be teaching him good personal hygiene.
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