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The surgical removal of the skin covering the head of a male’s penis is called circumcision.

Now the definition is all good but does it help in answering ‘why circumcision?’ The purpose of this article is to aid and address some of the concerns parents might have on this topic of surgery on their male children. After all, a concern regarding a medical surgery is completely normal, when medical experts themselves admit that no surgery is fool proof. In this context, the medical experts remark that a child should be healthy and stable for this surgery to be administrated. And if the parents decide to have their baby circumcised, the procedure is usually performed in the baby’s first few days of life. The surgery lasts 15-30 minutes and is done in a completely sterilised room.

• Surgery

The doctor starts the operation by cleaning the baby’s penis and foreskin, followed up by administrating local anaesthesia to significantly reduce the baby’s discomfort. A special clamp is attached to the penis, and the foreskin is removed. Finally, ointment and gauze or a plastic ring are placed over the cut to protect it from rubbing against the diaper.

• To or not to?

Circumcision is an elective procedure. It is not mandatory unless there is a medical condition, which requires its use or the parents who decide to circumcise their newborn boys often do so for religious, social or cultural reasons. More importantly, American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) recommends, however, that parents discuss the benefits and risks of circumcision with their paediatrician and then make an informed decision.

Whether or not to circumcise your newborn is an important decision. Circumcision could be riskier if done later in a boy’s life, so if you have any questions or concerns, talk to your baby’s health care provider. Ask for up-to-date information about the potential medical benefits and risks of circumcision.

Normally the debate on circumcision is non-decisive due to the lack of proper evidence from both opponents and proponents. However, for the sake of this article, we will limit this discussion to a couple of important factors, which most of the parents would like to consider in such conditions.

• Risk vs. Benefits

According to the AAP, research suggests that there may be some medical benefits to circumcision. Boys who have been circumcised are at reduced risk for:

• Foreskin infections.
• Urinary tract infections.
• Penile cancer.
• Sexually transmitted diseases.
• Phimosis, a condition in uncircumcised males that makes foreskin retraction impossible.

However on the flip side of the coin, the risks associated with this surgery are:

• Too much bleeding or infection in the area.
• Too much skin removed.
• Side effects from the method or medicine used for pain relief.

The risk of complications is lower in young babies than in older children and Adult Male Circumcision. To minimise the risks, the procedure should be done by a trained and experienced practitioner using a sterile technique. Someone should follow up with you in the days after the procedure to make sure that bleeding has not increased.

• Caring for a circumcised penis

After the circumcision, the penis will take 7 to 10 days to heal. The area may be red for a few days, and you may see some yellow discharge, which should decrease as it heals. Talk to your baby’s health care provider about what to expect. Following are some indicators you can watch out during this recovery period, as suggested by experts at Circumcision Center:

• Follow the instructions given by the practitioner who did the circumcision about caring for the dressing, using petroleum jelly, keeping the area clean and bathing.
• Complications from a circumcision are rare. However, every surgery carries some risk. The AAP reports that complications occur in 1 in 200 to 1 in 500 circumcised new-born males. The most frequent complications are minor bleeding and local infection, both of which can be easily treated by your child’s doctor. Contact your health provider if:

1. You see persistent bleeding at any time during the healing process.
2. The redness and swelling around the circumcision do not start to go down in 48 hours.
3. Your baby develops a fever (rectal temperature of 38.0° C or higher).
4. Your baby seems to be unwell.
5. Your baby does not pass urine within 12 hours of the procedure.
6. There is a greenish or foul smelling discharge from the penis.

• Caring for an uncircumcised penis

During the early stages of a boy’s life, the foreskin starts to separate from the glans, but may not be retractable. Worry not, this is a part of natural growth and is properly developed till puberty. You do not need to do anything to make it happen.

However, an uncircumcised penis requires hygienic care to keep it clean:

• Keep your baby’s penis clean by gently washing the area during his bath. Do not try to pull back the foreskin.
• When your son is old enough, teach him to keep his penis clean as you’re teaching him how to maintain the rest of his body clean.
• When the foreskin separates, skin cells will be shed, and new ones will develop to replace them. These dead skin cells will work their way down the penis through the tip of the foreskin and may look like white, cheesy lumps.
• When the foreskin is fully retractable, teach your son to wash underneath it each day.