If you happen to be new parents of a baby boy, would you have circumcision performed on him? For it is true that parents have divergent views about the medical procedure of circumcision on baby boys. The decision of some parents to have their baby boy circumcised may be based on religious grounds. Others may decide in its favor for health reasons. Still others may view it as not at all necessary.
Parents who opt to have their baby boy circumcised for health reasons should realize that the claim of any medical benefits of circumcision is ambiguous. In fact, not a few doctors themselves are of the opinion that circumcision is no longer a compulsory medical procedure that must be performed on baby boys. The prevailing ambivalence towards circumcision may be explained by the feeling of uncertainty on whether its supposed benefits can outweigh its risks. What's certain is this: When circumcision is performed on a baby boy, he feels pain and may be psychologically traumatized by it.
Circumcision is a medical procedure that involves the removal of the foreskin from the tip of the penis. This process is without a doubt very painful and the possibility that a baby may suffer psychologically from it is real. This is the principal risk that circumcision poses which is understood by medical experts and parents far better than any of its assumed benefits.
What the majority of physicians agree on is that circumcision should be done only on babies who are physically and emotionally healthy. As the affected area continues to be raw and ruddy for several days after the surgery, some intricacies may occur. These may include some bleeding and infection, both of which are quite responsive to ordinary medical treatment. It is at this stage when the baby is most certainly undergoing much distress that his pain must be alleviated. Providing him with a pacifier moistened with sugar water can help lessen his suffering. Making him lie down on a cushioned bed for comfort is another way of easing his pain. A third way, which doctors recommend, is the application of a local anesthetic. The doctor can advise which specific type of anesthetic is best to administer to your baby.
Inspite of several researches made and studies done, none of them has provided a sure means of totally shutting off pain during circumcision. Nevertheless, it is significant enough that we are aware a baby boy goes through so much pain during (and about a week after) circumcision and that we know there are ways we can do to relieve his discomfort.
Abstract: When circumcision is performed on a baby boy, he most certainly feels pain and may be psychologically traumatized by it. There are ways we can do to alleviate his discomfort.
I disagree with your assertion that we should first cut off a healthy natural part of a male or female child's body (circumcision) and then offer treatments. I see counselling as a form of psychological brain washing so that the child accepts what has been done to him or her. Counselling to deal with the associated pain, trauma, bleeding and infection is just too sick for me. Many men already feel it is too small. To somehow cut part of it off and then offer counselling, sounds even more vile to me than the initial procedure.
Circumcision is genital mutilation of a child by the adults caring for him. Yes I am opinionated. It is painful, it bleeds, it can become infected and worst of all we are doing the mutilation without the child's consent. It is not a necessary procedure like appendicitis or dental extraction. Surely some religious people are going to tell me that they did not feel any pain. Others are going to tell me that it reduces UTI, AIDS and increases sexual pleasure. There is no basis for any of these.
We as a society should be stopping female and male genital \ sexual mutilation. The mutilation goes on in the name of misdirected myths and half truths.
Shergill