The decision about having a newborn circumcised usually depends on the parents' religious beliefs or personal preferences. The main medical reason for circumcision is to remove an unusually tight foreskin that is obstructing the flow of urine. Other medical reasons, such as reducing the risk of cancer of the penis, are more controversial. Circumcision can be hazardous if bleeding disorders run in the family. The baby is also given vitamin K to counteract the anticoagulant.
Most newborns have a mild skin rash sometime during the first week.
It tends to disappear on its own without treatment. Applying lotions or powders, using perfumed soaps, and putting plastic pants over the diapers are likely to make the rash worse, especially in hot weather. Dryness and some skin peeling often occur after a few days, especially in the creases at the wrists and ankles. Such lumps are most common on the head, cheek, and neck when forceps were used during delivery. The lumps may break through to the skin surface, releasing a clear yellow fluid, but they usually heal fairly quickly.