The report found scientific evidence that there are potential medical benefits of newborn circumcision. However, the AAP did not find enough information to recommend circumcision for all babies as a routine procedure. The AAP recommends that parents should be given information on the benefits and risks of newborn circumcision and that parents should decide what is best for their baby. Circumcision is usually performed by the obstetrician, in the hospital. When it is done for religious reasons, other persons may do the surgery as part of a ceremony, after the baby is discharged from the hospital.
Circumcision is performed only on healthy babies.
Because the procedure is painful, the AAP recommends using some type of local anesthesia for newborn circumcision. Several types of anesthesia are available, including a numbing cream or injecting small amounts of anesthetic around the penis. Although there are risks with any anesthesia, these are generally considered very safe. There are several ways to perform a circumcision. Some methods use a temporary clamp device while others use a plastic bell that stays on the penis for a certain length of time.