If you have a baby boy, you likely will be asked (or seemingly forced) as to whether you want him to be circumcised. Circumcision is the removal of the foreskin, which is the skin that covers the tip of the penis. It's a good idea to think about this before going into labor because it is often offered before a new baby leaves the hospital.
In 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) did not recommend routine circumcision because the medical benefits do not outweigh the risks. they have since changed their statement.
In 2007, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) formed a multidisciplinary task force of AAP members and other stakeholders to evaluate the recent evidence on male circumcision and update the Academy’s 1999 recommendations in this area. Evaluation of current evidence indicates that the health benefits of newborn male circumcision outweigh the risks and that the procedure’s benefits justify access to this procedure for families who choose.
PUBLIC STATEMENT:
Systematic evaluation of English-language peer-reviewed literature from 1995 through 2010 indicates that preventive health benefits of elective circumcision of male newborns outweigh the risks of the procedure.
The procedure is well tolerated when performed by trained professionals under sterile conditions with appropriate pain management. Complications are infrequent; most are minor, and severe complications are rare. Male circumcision performed during the newborn period has considerably lower complication rates than when performed later in life.
Although health benefits are not great enough to recommend routine circumcision for all male newborns, the benefits of circumcision are sufficient to justify access to this procedure for families choosing it and to warrant third-party payment for circumcision of male newborns.
It is important that clinicians routinely inform parents of the health benefits and risks of male newborn circumcision in an unbiased and accurate manner.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has endorsed this statement.
APP PDF here- http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/130/3/585.full.pdf
On Women's health .gov, parents are told to consider their religious, cultural, and personal preferences when making the choice to circumcise their son.
There are medical benefits and risks to circumcision. Possible benefits include:
A lower risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Keep in mind that UTIs affect only 1 percent or less of men who are not circumcised.
A lower risk of penile cancer. Keep in mind that penile cancer is very rare in both men who are or are not circumcised.
A possible lower risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Keep in mind that practicing safe sex, including using a condom, is the best protection against STIs.
The risks of circumcision include:
Pain. If you decide to have your baby circumcised, you can ask that a numbing medicine be put on your baby's penis to lessen the pain.
See article: Male Circumcision:Pain, Trauma and Psychosexual Sequelae
http:// www.cirp. org/library/psych/boyle6/
A low risk of bleeding or infection. These risks are higher when circumcision is performed on older babies, boys, and men.
Source:
https://www.womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/getting-ready-baby/circumcision