I Was Very Unnerved by This Procedure

Circumcision is the most widely preformed surgical procedure done on babies.

The parents are the ones who make the decision about circumcision for their newborn male baby. Most parents decision is based on cultural,social and family tradition.

Circumcision was originally a rite of the jewish religion but has since gained widespread cultural acceptance . In the past this procedure was recommended for all newborn males but starting in the late 1960's that number has been on the decline.

Parents need to know the potential benefits and risks before they make a decision about whether to circumcize or not. Many parents choose circumcision because they want the child to have a similiar appearance to the father or to the majority of other children,or because they feel that is what is expected of them by society. Another reason frequently mentioned for the reason to have circumcision done is to prevent the need hospitalization, pain and trauma should the male want it done later on in life, which I personally think is better because you as an adult are better equipped to deal with the pain and verbalize what and where it hurts; a newborn cannot tell you.Some specialist say that circumcision is not painful to the newborn.I cannot believe this because when I went to nursing school, I had a rotation in newborn nursery and my first day we had to watch a circumcision being done.They first tied the baby down to a mat [at the] arms and legs,gave baby small amount of lidocaine in penis. [They] then put a gomco clamp on the penis, waited about 3 minutes, and then they cut the extra skin away. The whole time the baby was screaming bloody murder. I was very unnerved by this procedure;the whole time I wanted to cut the baby loose, but obviously I couldnt.There is not a lot of blood when this procedure is done, but how they can say it doesnt hurt is beyond me.

After a circumcision there are potential risks for the baby like hemorrhage,infection,difficulty voiding,seperation of the edges of the circumcision,discomfort,and restlessness can be experienced early after procedure; later there is the risk of ulcerations adhesions,entrapment of the penis and damage to the urethra, all of which would require baby to have surgery later on. Now there are advantages reported about circumcision also-such as the procedure can prevent urinary tract infections in infants and cancer of the penis in adults. It is also reported that it can prevent inhibition of many sexually transmitted diseases.

My personal opinion, if I had a son, is not to have the circumcision [done]; if lf later on he decided he wanted it down then okay, but I believe that if you make him comfortable with the decision you made when he was younger then it will probably not be that big a deal. My opinion is based on my nursing background and the fact that it looks like a cruel procedure to put an infant through just when he enters the world.