Baby Circumcisions For Infants and Newborns

A circumcision is the surgical removal of the sleeve of skin and tissue that normally covers the head of the penis, otherwise known as the glans. This double layer, sometimes called the prepuce, is more commonly known as the foreskin.

Yes. Out of the thousands of circumcisions carried out, there are very few cases of complications. Complications from a circumcision are extremely rare, but they can occur. Complications are even less likely to occur if the circumcision is done in a medical setting by someone well trained in the procedure.

The most common complications are bleeding (2%) and infection (2%). Complications specific to the 'ring method' for circumcision include ring migration (less than 1%), and the ring not coming off within the specified time period (less than 1%).

Our surgeons are doctors registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) and operate in a clinical setting. They have received specialist training and have carried many circumcisions.

You can be assured that our clinic is clean, safe, well equipped and extremely well run.

Circumcision can be performed from 5 days after birth. At North-East Circumcisions, we encourage parents to perform the circumcision as soon as possible after birth-a good time is between 2 to 4 weeks. This timeframe will allow a simpler procedure and, more importantly, a much shorter recovery period. In addition, the psychological stress endured by babies is much less than when they are older.

An expertly trained and experienced doctor performing baby circumcisions will be able to easily identify those babies in whom circumcision should not be undertaken for medical reasons such as buried penis or hypospadias (see later).

Also, a non-medical person cannot give a local anaesthetic injection to provide a pain-free procedure. They may instead use a numbing cream around the foreskin but this clearly does NOT provide the type of pain-free experience as a local anaesthetic injection.

Numerous associated health benefits of circumcision have been cited by many researchers and supporters of the practice:

• The incidence of local infections at the tip of the penis, including balanitis, have been shown to be significantly lower in boys who have been circumcised.
• There is also a large decrease in the incidence of urinary tract infections amongst boys who have been circumcised.
• The prevalence of penile cancer is much higher amongst uncircumcised men.
• The transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, specifically HIV and AIDS, has been shown to also be higher amongst uncircumcised men.
• There is some suggestion that the incidence of cervical cancer amongst women with uncircumcised partners is higher than in those with circumcised partners.

At NEC, in keeping with the advice of the American Academy of Paediatricians, we do not advocate the practice of male circumcisions on the basis of the above health benefits alone. However, the health benefits of circumcision do serve as a bonus to those who are keen to have their sons circumcised as part of their own religious, ethnic and ritual beliefs and practices.

Emotional preparation for parents is extremely important as this can have an influence on the baby's experience of the procedure. First and foremost, it is extremely important that both parents are happy to go ahead with their son's circumcision and that they are happy with the timing. Any disagreement regarding going ahead with the procedure will be a flashpoint before, during and after the procedure and can potentially have a negative impact on the whole experience.

This is especially important in mixed-race families where the practice of circumcision is alien to one of the parents. Ensure that you have discussed the procedure amongst yourselves and you are both fully committed to going ahead with it. At NEC, we are very keen to ensure that both parents are comfortable with the consent process. If we feel that either parent is uncomfortable then we will not proceed with the circumcision.

Circumcision is often carried out for reasons other than a medical need. Although it has been done for thousands of years, circumcision as a procedure needs to be respected and carried out in the safest possible way, minimising risks to the child.

We often get enquiries from parents asking whether we offer a home visit service. We DO NOT perform circumcisions at home. We also DO NOT SUPPORT this practice at all. If you are considering having your baby circumcised please get it done at a fully registered clinic. Just because you or your family members may have been circumcised at home, does not mean it is now considered safe practice.

Up until recently it was not uncommon for circumcisions to be carried out at home by doctors or rabbis. More and more this practice is being criticised and in fact the large regulatory bodies such as the Care Quality Commission (CQC) insist that all circumcisions performed by doctors should be done within a fully registered clinic and definitely not at home.

Any doctor or rabbi performing a circumcision in a child's home will not be in an environment that they are familiar with. In addition basic infection control measures will always be compromised. They will not have access to necessary equipment such as a diathermy machine for controlling bleeding. In extremely rare circumstances of an allergic reaction they will not necessarily have access to life saving equipment or medication. The incidence of bleeding and infection is always higher amongst children being circumcised at home compared with those treated in a dedicated clinic. Finally, children circumcised at home often involve the parents or family members assisting the doctor/rabbi in holding the child. We believe strongly that this is not appropriate.