It challenges us to empathize with newborn infants. Just how many newborns are circumcised annually is unclear. Federal figures show that nearly two-thirds of American boys born in 1995 were circumcised, but the pediatrics academy said those statistics were taken from too small a sample to be reliable. The new policy statement, outlined in a report in the March issue of Pediatrics, the academy's journal, says parents should take into account cultural and religious traditions as well as the advice of a pediatrician when considering circumcision. In its last policy statement on the issue, in 1989, the academy said circumcision had potential medical benefits as well as risks and should be carefully explained to parents.
Some evidence shows penile cancer is more prevalent among uncircumcised males.
Us Copyright 1998, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. All rights reserved.