With the prior authorization of the parents, who must take charge of the decision, many children are circumcised just hours after their birth. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this practice?
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Today, many parents circumcise their children for medical reasons. On the contrary, some do not even think about doing this to their children, while some parents do it for religious reasons. But what is circumcision in children? Undoubtedly, it is interesting to know the subject to understand its motives.
What is circumcision?
It is a surgical operation performed mostly in babies, in which the foreskin (or skin covering the tip of the penis) is cut , in order to expose the glans. This is a controversial surgery in many places.
Circumcision in children is performed, in most cases, when the baby is 2 days old (8 days in the case of Jews and Muslims). Usually it causes a slight hemorrhage in the baby. However, it does not require you to have sutures; rather, the wound heals alone between one week and ten days later using a bandage.
Circumcision in the operating room
In case you are thinking about circumcising your child for medical reasons (for example, if your child suffers from phimosis ), knowing how the operation is in the operating room will fill you with security.
It is important that you know that, although it is a controversial operation because it is not essential, it is also simple and is done in a short time. It lasts from 10 to 20 minutes or, in most cases, one hour.
It all begins with your final decision, along with your partner's, to perform circumcision on your child. Once convinced of this, you will have to sign a form in which your consent is expressed with the procedure, which shows that you are aware of the procedure and the risks.
There are hospitals and clinics where they allow parents access during the operation. Therefore, consult your doctor before starting if you can do it.
The surgery, in general, is performed by an obstetrician . However, it can also be performed by different pediatric surgeons.
Circumcision in children is practiced days after birth.
Once in place of the operation, you start with a pain control. General anesthesia is usually used in babies; if not, a suppository ( paracetamol ) is used so that the baby does not notice the discomfort of the surgery. This effect can last for hours.
Then, in a matter of minutes, the baby's foreskin is cut without complications. For this there are different possible techniques, such as the Plastibel bell, the Gomco method or the Mogen method.
Once the surgery is finished, Vaseline is applied to the baby's penis and covered with gauze to avoid discomfort and friction with the diaper. The good thing is that the operation is so simple that the baby is discharged the same day of surgery without the need for hospitalization.
"Circumcision does not require stitches; the wound heals alone after a week or ten days using a bandage "
Benefits of circumcision in children
Strange as it may seem to you, circumcision in children can bring you certain advantages, although scientifically they are not significant. They are the following:
If your child is circumcised, their chances of having urinary diseases will be lower.
A circumcised penis is easier to keep clean and without infections.
He has a lower chance of suffering from cancer of the penis (although this is already an unlikely disease, usually 1 in 10,000 men has it).
It decreases the chance of contracting HIV, syphilis and gonorrhea with an infected female partner.
Circumcision in children is a decision that parents must make at the time of their birth.
Disadvantages of circumcision in children
Like most surgical procedures, there are disadvantages associated with this operation. The negative consequences of circumcision on children are very rare; These can be:
The wound could become infected if a sterilization is not performed.
The baby may have trouble urinating for the next 6 hours or 8 hours.
There are cases in which it can generate fever for the baby.
Problems related to hemorrhages.
Loss of sensitivity in the glans, which later affects sexual relations.
Undoubtedly, circumcision in children is one of the most controversial surgeries performed today. While the advantages are not significant, they do, but in the end it is the parents' decision to circumcise their child or not.