A Guide To Your New Family's First Weeks - Meriter Health Services

Caring for the Foreskin and Deciding About Circumcision
Baby boys are born with foreskin, a skin covering the end of their penis. The foreskin helps to protect the penis and the opening
(urethra) from stool and other irritants. The foreskin normally clings to the head of the penis for the first years of life and then
naturally separates.
By age three or four, most boys will have foreskins that fully retract (pull back). Until then, you may clean the foreskin just like the
rest of the baby’s skin. If the foreskin is not yet retractable, you should not force it away from the head of the penis. This can cause
scarring and further difficulties with retraction.
Once the foreskin is retractable, you can clean the head of the penis and inside of the foreskin easily with soap and water after first
gently pulling the foreskin back from the head of the penis. After cleaning, gently pull the foreskin back over the head of the penis.
you leave the foreskin retracted, the foreskin can swell which makes it harder to pull back over the head of the penis. When a boy is
old enough, he can learn how to keep his penis clean just as he will learn to keep other parts of his body clean. Good hygiene of the
foreskin will help prevent problems with infection or difficulty retracting the foreskin.
What is Circumcision
Circumcision is a surgical procedure that
permanently removes the foreskin, exposing the end
of the penis. There is some evidence of potential
medical benefits for circumcision. The evidence,
though, is not enough to recommend that all
newborn boys be circumcised, as there are also risks
and disadvantages to circumcision.
You are the best person to determine what is in
the best interest of your son, and we have included
the following information to help you in making
an informed decision. You can also talk to your
baby’s doctor before deciding. If you do decide to
have your son circumcised, we will ask you to sign a
consent form.
Why Do Some Parents Choose
Circumcision For Their Sons
Parents choose to have their sons circumcised for
various reasons. In some cultures, circumcision is
a religious practice. In other cultures, parents want
their sons to look like the other men in their family
or community. Some parents may be concerned that
cleaning the foreskin will be difficult. Other parents
choose to have their baby circumcised as a newborn
as they know that a circumcision done in the first few
months of life avoids the risks of general anesthesia,
which is generally needed if the procedure is done
later in life.
Why Do Some Parents Choose Not To
Have Their Sons Circumcised
Most cultures do not commonly perform
circumcision. The majority of boys with families
from Asia, South America, Central America and
most of Europe are not circumcised. Some parents
believe the benefits of circumcision are not enough
to warrant the surgery, or that the risks are too high.
Some parents prefer that their sons choose for
themselves when they are older. There has also been
a concern that removing the foreskin will interfere
with a man’s sexual experience. Recent research,
however, shows this is not a concern.
What Are the Potential Benefits of
Circumcision
There are several potential medical benefits of
circumcision. In the first year of life, circumcised
boys have a decreased risk of urinary tract infections.
After the first year, however, the risk of a urinary
tract infection is so low that circumcision provides
no additional benefit. Removing the foreskin
prevents the chance that the foreskin could cling
to the head of the penis for too long or that the
foreskin could stay in a retracted position. Although
there is a slightly decreased risk of cancer of the
penis or sexually transmitted diseases in adult
circumcised men, the overall risk is very low if a
boy/man cares for his foreskin properly and has low
risk-taking behaviors.
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