This double layer of skin, the prepuce, is commonly known as the foreskin. The baby is placed spread-eagle on his back on a board and strapped down so he cannot move. His genitals are scrubbed with an antiseptic solution. Then his foreskin is cut off. Most parents are unaware of the details of this procedure.
Circumcision is extremely painful and traumatic for a baby.
Just being strapped down is frightening for an infant. The often-repeated statement that babies can t feel pain is false. Babies are as sensitive to pain as anyone else. Most babies scream frantically when the foreskins are cut off. Some defecate, others lapse into a coma.