Bill Barrows, MD, who reviewed the study for WebMD, is also a mohel certified by the Berit Milah Board of Reform Judaism. He performs approximately 50 circumcisions every year. Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a policy statement on circumcision that concluded that the benefits are not significant enough to recommend newborn circumcision as a routine procedure. The AAP believes parents should be provided with accurate and unbiased information regarding both the risks and benefits of circumcision when making a decision regarding their baby. Barrows says even if circumcision is not immediately medically beneficial for newborns due to illness or bleeding risk, the long-term medical benefits of the procedure do support its use in most cases.
Most medical people agree that circumcision is worthwhile.
We do a lot of things for our children. So is circumcision. Barrows advises parents and their health care providers to discuss prior to the delivery whether to perform a circumcision on a male infant. This discussion should involve conversation about reducing pain to the newborn, aftercare, possible complications, benefits, and costs. A new study shows that complications from circumcision occur in 1 out of every 476 cases and can include bleeding and infection.