The Circumcision Decision

If you have a male baby, we'll ask you about circumcision. Circumcision is a small surgery where the skin that covers the tip of the penis (the foreskin) is removed.

Circumcision is optional. The American Association of Pediatricians says there are some benefits and some risks to circumcision. It is a parents’ choice to do circumcision or not.

You can choose to do circumcision at the hospital or after you leave the hospital, or choose not to do circumcision. The important things to know are:

Circumcision is your choice.
You can choose circumcision or not.
Choose the option that is right for your family and your baby.

Circumcision of females has no medical benefits and causes harm.

Why Choose Circumcision?

There are many reasons people choose to have their male baby circumcised, including:

Family, culture, or faith reasons
Wanting your baby to look like other men in the family
Lower chance of urine infection in the first year: less than one percent vs. two to 2.5 percent without circumcision
Lower chance of a tight foreskin (phimosis) later in life, although this is generally uncommon
Slightly lower chance of some infections passed by sex in adulthood
Lower chance of cancer in the penis, but this is rare in all men

Why Choose Not to Circumcise?

There are many reasons people choose to not have their male baby circumcised, including:

Family, culture, or faith reasons
Wanting your baby to look like other men in the family
Not wanting to do surgery on a healthy baby
A risk of pain, bleeding, or infection, although these are usually mild and serious problems are rare
The skin may heal in a way that needs to be fixed late, but this is uncommon
Wanting the child to decide for themselves later

When Is Circumcision Done?

If you choose circumcision, it’s done:

After the baby is 24 hours old
When baby is healthy, eating, and peeing

It may be delayed if the baby is born early, unwell, has a bleeding problem, has or an issue with their penis.

What Happens During Circumcision?

An obstetrician, family medicine doctor, or pediatrician will do the circumcision in the hospital. They will:

Place your baby on their back.
Give oral sucrose (sweet solution) and a pacifier to your baby for pain.
Put on soft straps or a swaddle to keep your baby’s arms and legs still.
Clean the penis.
Inject numbing medicine into the penis.
Put a circumcision devise on the penis.
Remove the foreskin with a scalpel.
Apply petroleum jelly and a small bandage on the penis. There are no stitches.

How is Pain Managed?

Circumcision is surgery and is painful. Different things are used to help calm pain:

Acetaminophen, given orally before the procedure
Numbing shot (local anesthetic)
Oral sucrose (sweet solution) and pacifier
Swaddling, breastfeeding, and skin-to-skin after the procedure

What if I Do Not Choose Circumcision?

If you choose to not circumcise your baby in the hospital, it’s important to care properly for their penis:

Do not retract the foreskin. It will move by itself as they grow.
Wash the penis with soap and warm water.

Talk to your baby’s care provider if you have any questions.

In addition:

You may choose to do circumcision later, for faith, culture, or any other reason. It may not be covered by insurance.
Sometimes circumcision needs to be done for medical reasons in the future. It can be more difficult when a male is older.