Circumcision is the common but optional surgical procedure to remove the baby’s foreskin, which covers the head/glans of his penis. If you are expecting a baby boy, you must be trying to decide whether to have him circumcised or not. If you are decisive to do it, here is what you all need to know about before the procedure.
Best Time to Circumcise a Baby Boy?
Are you stressing over when to circumcise your baby boy, or what’s the best timing for it? Relax; circumcision is not medically required. But if you are confident in your decision, then the answer is that you can have your kid circumcised within 7 days after birth. You should wait if it is a premature birth or if the baby has bleeding problems. Doctors usually recommend circumcision if the newborn is suffering from urinary tract infections. However, circumcision can be done at any stage of the boy’s life. So, it’s the choice of parents.
Potential Benefits of Circumcision
Mostly, parents circumcise their sons for religious or cultural reasons. But you should also consult the pediatrician and ask him about the potential risks and benefits of circumcision.
The studies show that the boys who have gone through this procedure of circumcision are:
- Less likely to get Human papillomavirus (HPV)
- Less prone to get AIDS
- Less prone to develop penile cancer
- Less prone to urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- Easier to wash the area and easier genital hygiene
- Decreased chances of getting sexually transmitted diseases
- Less likely to get skin diseases like phimosis
Potential Risks of Circumcision
No potential risks are associated with circumcision if the trained practitioner does it using a sterile technique. Problems of circumcision are usually minor and are not very complicated. Young kids have lower chances of complications than older ones. Serious complications can occur, and these include:
- Too much bleeding during surgery (most common complication)
- Side effects of medicines used to subside the pain
- Too much skin removed
- Insufficient foreskin removed
- Infection in the area
- Abnormal healing such as granulomas and keloid formation
- Necrosis of the penis (a very rare complication)
Aftercare of male circumcision?
Have you circumcised your baby boy and do not know how to take care of the male circumcision? Here are some tips for handling your baby.
- Hold your baby to solace him after circumcision.
- Apply petroleum jelly to avoid sticking to the diaper
- Follow the instructions of the pediatrician about bathing, cleaning, and dressing
- Call your doctor if swelling and redness does not go down
- Check the temperature of your baby boy regularly
- Check if your baby passes the urine or not within 12 hours of the surgery
- There must not be greenish discharge from the area
- The penis may discharge yellow fluid, but it should decrease with the recovery
- Clean the area with warm water
- Do not use diaper wipes
- Whenever you change the diaper, don’t forget to apply petroleum jelly to lubricate
Conclusion
Circumcision is a painful process, but it still has a lot of benefits for your boys. In some cases, the removal of the baby foreskin is necessary to avoid certain infections. Usually, baby boys completely heal within 7-10 days of the circumcision. But if they don’t, you should immediately consult your pediatrician.
