According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the exact incidence of post-operative complications is unknown. The literature abounds with reports of morbidity, and even death, from infant circumcision. British Journal of Surgery , vol. 80, October 1993, pp. According to a comprehensive recent study, infant responses to pain are similar to but greater than those observed in adult subjects.
Infant circumcision causes severe, persistent pain.
Some infants do not cry because they go into shock from the overwhelming pain of the surgery. Infants rarely receive anaesthesia or post-operative pain management. No anesthetic has been found to be safe and totally effective in preventing circumcision pain in infants. A stressful, painful event such as circumcision appears to affect feeding patterns. Infants feed less frequently and are less available for interaction after circumcision.