A guide for families about newborn circumcision
What is newborn circumcision?
Circumcision is the process of exposing the tip of the penis by cutting the foreskin, which is called the preputium in medical language, which covers the tip of the penis. It is possible to do this procedure at any age. If it is done within the first 24-48 hours after the baby is born, it is called newborn circumcision. This process is becoming more and more common in our country.
What are the advantages of newborn circumcision?
The newborn circumcision ends in experienced hands in a short time and the baby easily survives this important event without general anesthesia and without feeling any pain. Since the procedure is performed with local anesthesia, the baby does not need to be hungry and mostly sleeps during the circumcision and does not feel any pain
Although the newborn may seem too small for such a surgical procedure, since the body's self-repair is faster in this age group, the recovery process is very fast. After the newborn circumcision, even without the need for a special dressing, recovery is achieved until the baby's umbilical cord falls off. Since the first 48 hours coincide with the period when the mother is in the hospital, this first care is provided by the nurses and the doctor in the hospital. When the mother goes home with her baby, without doing anything special, she sees that her foreskin is healing quickly. The only thing we want from the mother during this period is to breastfeed her baby frequently. This makes the family's job much easier.
How is newborn circumcision performed?
- Bell method: The foreskin is compressed between two age-appropriate metal plates and the outer part is cut. It is non-bleeding and is often preferred for circumcision of newborn babies.
- Laser or cautery method: It is the cutting of the foreskin with these tools. It should be done very carefully, as it can be dangerous in inexperienced hands and cause permanent disability.
- Surgical method: The foreskin is surgically cut, and the ends are stitched together. The most widely accepted method, which I also use, is this method