Is cicumcision better for the babys health?

Question

My boyfriend doesnt want my son to be circumsized because he isnt. I want him to be. I need to know which is the healthier choice for the baby.

Answer 1

Not according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

"Existing scientific evidence demonstrates potential medical benefits of newborn male circumcision; however, these data are not sufficient to recommend routine neonatal circumcision."

Answer 2

My son was born about 1.5 months ago. After thorough research into it and inquiring of other people in countries other than the U.S., we decided against circumcision. I am circumcised myself. He can decide when he's older whether to do it or not. My wife's brother got circumcised when he was 11, and he 24 years old now and doing fine. Just teach your son to be clean when he's older. The foreskin is NOT supposed to move back until it does so naturally, which is usually in the teenage years.

Proper hygiene should prevent "infections". Women in this country aren't routinely circumcised and although some develop various infections like yeast, most women keep themselves clean and will rarely have a problem. Same thing with your little guy. And men, imagine the way sex feels, except many times better and then you might wish you still had your skin, which is actually erogenous tissue, which has only been studied recently.

And as proof, many of us still have a bit of our foreskin on our penis. Usually on the underside. Feel around until you find a spot(s) that are very sensitive. These are remnants of what was taken from you without your control over your own body.

And to Pat m, how is it easier to clean a circumcised baby vs one that is not? I pray to GOD you are not pulling back foreskin! That's exactly why I will make it clear to our daycare provider to wipe him as normal and DO NOT pull back the skin. The only way it was more inconvenient for you to clean the uncircumcised was because you pulled the skin back. Otherwise cleaning would be the same with both. When we wipe our son we do nothing special. Pat will be the reason for those boys getting infections due to damage of the tissue from retraction.

Answer 3

While the American Academy of Pediatrics doesn't consider circumcision to be medically necessary, there are some medical reasons for performing one. Those include preventing recurring infections of the head of the penis, avoiding obstruction of urine flow that can result when the prepuce's opening narrows, and preventing a tight prepuce from retracting over the glans. Also, circumcision may reduce the incidence of penile cancer (a very rare condition).

Even barring these considerations, infections, including urinary tract infections in infants, are less common in a circumcised penis. That's because a circumcised penis is easier to keep clean. (By pulling back the uncircumcised foreskin and cleaning carefully, a man can reduce the formation of smegma, a cottage cheese-like substance that can lead to a foul odor and infection). Please note that ALL of this can be prevented by good personal hygiene.

Finally, circumcision might have a small protective effect against AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), "some research suggests that circumcised men may be at a reduced risk for developing syphilis and HIV infections." Some scientists blame any increased risk in uncircumcised penises on increased mucosal cells that can allow infection to enter more easily. What's more, microorganisms can flourish in a warm, moist area under the foreskin.

Circumcision aside, the AAP policy states that behavioral factors continue to be far more important in determining a person's risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases that circumcision status.

Also consider this, however:

For a woman looking for a sensitive man, an uncircumcised partner has one advantage: his penis will probably be more responsive because of the foreskin that covers its tip. Called a prepuce, the foreskin is removed in some males during circumcision. Over time, however, the circumcised penis loses some sensitivity as it rubs unprotected against a man's underwear all day.

Personally I would let the child grow up and decide for himself whether or not self-mutilation is something that he wants to do when he is old enough to make an informed decision.

Answer 4

It is better to leave him intact.

Many will argue over reducing infections, sanitary, and my least favorite stupid reason is appearance.

Removing a newborn's prepuce (foreskin) is like having his tonsils removed, his appendix removed, his gall bladder removed. He'll be fine without it, it's not a part of the body that is mandatory for proper functioning... but WHY do it?

Why remove a part of a human body in the chance - remote chance that he will become ill and need the surgery done later? By this logic we should have all babies' tonsils and appendix removed at birth as well.

Religious cultures are different, a sacred institution is not to be questioned.

BUT, for all those who are not of those faiths, it is purely a misinformed cosmetic decision made popular and mainstream by doctors who in the 1800s thought it would reduce the rates of masturbation which was considered to be the cause of many infections of the time.
http://nocirc.org/

Answer 5

That is a very personal choice, I didn't have my son circumsized and I don't regret it. My husband didn't want me to and I didn't have any religious reason to. I didn't feel the need to. I didn't want to put my newborn through that and I still feel the same way 3 years later. you just have to teach your child how to clean themselves properly and they shouldn't have a problem. Lots of men are not circumsized it is not that uncomman anymore.

Answer 6

I don't think it is healthier for the baby.

When I hear people say it is easier to keep clean I have to raise my eyebrows. It really isn't that hard to keep the area clean.....Now it would be much easier to keep our heads clean if we were all bald, wouldn't it? So is your head clean-shaven? Mine isn't LOL.

I could also avoid breast cancer if I cut off my breasts---but I'm not doing that either. Now if I knew I had a very high risk of breast cancer because my sisters, mom and grandmothers had it----that would be a different story.

Long term the latest studies don't show any health benefits for cutting off a perfectly healthy piece of skin....and it really seems to hurt some kids. I heard one screaming during a hospital visit and the mom told me later he was being circumcized when he started screaming.

I know four boys ages 15 through 4 who aren't circumcized and they have no problems keeping clean and staying healthy.

Good luck with your decision.

Answer 7

The healthier choice is not to do cosmetic surgery on your day old son. Simple as that. Talk to your doctor about the pros and cons of both WITH your boyfriend and try to make the choice together. Really though, you don't have a penis and your boyfriend does - who is qualified to make that decision??

Answer 8

Isnt not really a matter of health. It is easier to keep a circumsized penis clean. Not to say you can teach your son to make sure to keep himself clean.
But in the long run, there is a higher chance of bacteria problems collecting under uncircumszied penises.
But for the sake of your son, its usually best to be like dad. Later he could be asking why he doesn't look like dad?? and that can cause him to feel like he's odd because he isn't like dad.
I wouldn't choose something like this because of health, cause I dont feel health is the real issue. If I ever have a son I would have my baby boy circumzied because he's father is.

Answer 9

Either way is just as healthy. There is really no reason to have it done. I did have my son circumcised because his dad is circumcised and I thought it would be best that way so he wouldn't think that there was something wrong with him. As far as I know all of the men/boys in my family are circumcised. If my husband had not been circumcised I would not have had my son circumcised.

Answer 10

No good reason to circumcise routinely. I don't believe it will do any good that simple good hygiene will not also do just as well and without subjecting your son to a surgical procedure (which, in itself, is not without risk).