Parents must clearly understand the risks and the benefits to circumcision before deciding what is best for their son. Newborn circumcision is performed for a variety of reasons, ranging from cleanliness to religion to culture. Yet, many parents in the United States still continue to circumcise their sons. These reasons have become part of our culture despite the reality that there are no substantial medical reasons for performing the surgery on a routine basis. Risks Both risks and benefits should be considered before a decision is made.
Circumcision is a surgical procedure and as with any surgery there are potential risks.
It is an elective procedure to be performed only if the infant is stable and healthy. A child's genitals need to be cleaned whether they are a girl or a boy, and whether they are a boy who is circumcised or not. Just as a little girl is taught to wash carefully and thoroughly so should little boys. Initially, however, an uncircumcised penis requires little attention as the foreskin is not readily retractable at birth. At that time it is necessary to teach him to retract and wash the glans gently on daily basis.