The Circumcision Discussion

[jmspeach]

I know this can be a HUGE debate, and I'm not looking to start any arguments. I was just wondering as you are OB nurses. I'm expecting a boy in July and not sure if we should circ. or not. My husband says yes, it's better medically in the long run. My gpa who just turned 70 had to have a circ. due to endless complications lately.

As nurses in this area, is the medication that they use good? And what are some questions to ask my Dr. about it. I already know that my hospital i'll be at uses a med. when they perform it, I"m just wondering what you all think.

Thanks

Jen :)

[bsrn0523]

In nursing school years ago, I watched a circumcision on a newborn. The baby turned blue, screamed and cried. I decided not to circ my three boys after I did a fairly large amount of research on the subject. My father (who is not circumcised, as he was born in the 1930's) said it best, " As long as you wash and care for the area, there shouldn't be a problem." Still, it is a personal decision and I respect the parent's right to decide what is best for their child.

[Susan3970]

If you do decide to have your baby circumcised it needs to be done before he is 30 days old. I'm telling you this because it is something I wish I would have known when my son was born. It took us a long time to decide and we finally got him to a doctor when my son was 31 days old. They said we would have to wait until he is 1 year old and the price would jump from $250 (the price before 30 days old) to $5,000. So, this ended up not being something we could afford, unfortunately. I hope this helps!

[rn/writer, RN]

In nursing school years ago, I watched a circumcision on a newborn. The baby turned blue, screamed and cried. I decided not to circ my three boys after I did a fairly large amount of research on the subject. My father (who is not circumcised, as he was born in the 1930's) said it best, " As long as you wash and care for the area, there shouldn't be a problem." Still, it is a personal decision and I respect the parent's right to decide what is best for their child.

There is no excuse for this kind of barbaric approach. At the hospital where I work, babies are given Sweet-Ease on a pacifier as a prep, numbed with a penile block, and given acetaminophen immediately following the procedure. Additionally, our docs wait for the block to take hold. Most babies don't even cry. We take them out to their moms within minutes for feeding and snuggling. Docs who do not pay adequate attention to pain management need to be challenged on their methods.

Regardless of your stance on the pros and cons of circumcision, the act itself does not have to be an exercise in cruelty.

[KYCNM]

It's not only the physicians who need to be challenged, but the nurses who are "stuck in the mindset" that "they'll forget it in a few minutes". Or, "They cry when you inject the xylocaine, too, so it can't be that helpful". Of course, they would say it was barbaric if they had a lacerated finger and the physician refused to numb it before placing sutures.

[2curlygirls]

But then the local wears off and it hurts!!! Every time the baby pees, they scream! And many don't want to breastfeed for a long time afterward.

No medical reason to do it. None.

[KYCNM]

I understand that, however, that does not address the situation if the parents have REQUESTED that the baby be circumcised. There may be no medical indication, I am not arguing that point. Many parents still WANT their child circumcised. They have made this decision long before they arrived in the hospital, and do not need to be confronted by someone on a mission. The point is that some nurses are stuck in the past when they were taught that "infants don't have a memory for pain" or "they get over it".

[AirforceRN, RN]

Regardless of your stance on the pros and cons of circumcision, the act itself does not have to be an exercise in cruelty.

I kinda think the act itself is an exercise in cruelty...with or without the pain relieving issues.

[GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN]

I kinda think the act itself is an exercise in cruelty...with or without the pain relieving issues.

Me, too. The thought of cutting away part of someones genitals makes me shudder.

[rn/writer, RN]

I kinda think the act itself is an exercise in cruelty...with or without the pain relieving issues.

Me, too. The thought of cutting away part of someones genitals makes me shudder.

I understand that, however, that does not address the situation if the parents have REQUESTED that the baby be circumcised. There may be no medical indication, I am not arguing that point. Many parents still WANT their child circumcised. They have made this decision long before they arrived in the hospital, and do not need to be confronted by someone on a mission. The point is that some nurses are stuck in the past when they were taught that "infants don't have a memory for pain" or "they get over it".

Make whatever decision you want personally. That doesn't change the fact that you may have to support parental choices with which you disagree.

My earlier point was that if parents do opt for circumcision, we owe the babies the best pain management available. Whether it's insisting that a doc wait for analgesia to take hold or making certain that the babies get follow-up Tylenol as needed, we as nurses have the power to help reduce the pain of the procedure to a minimum, and we ought to be doing so, apart from individual opinions regarding circumcision.

[AirforceRN, RN]

My earlier point was that if parents do opt for circumcision, we owe the babies the best pain management available.

Agreed 100%

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

Ok, here is my food for thought.

Say a parent comes to me and wants to have their baby girl's labia pricked. Nothing disfiguring, just to draw a drop of blood or two. (This is indeed a form of FGC practiced. Not all FGC is of the infibulation sort.) They want it done with local anesthetic, and under sterile conditions. The parents believe there is societal and medical benefit to this.

I tell my pro-circ coworkers when they understand their reaction to the above and why, then perhaps they'll understand my reaction to circumcising boys.

I have had people laugh at me when I suggest that instead of Tylenol, we use morphine for boys getting circed. But why not? Would you want your genitals cut on with only tylenol to help you out later? I am quite outspoken about this at work. It makes me crazy. Honestly, I feel more strongly about circ than about breastfeeding.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

Ok, here is my food for thought.

Say a parent comes to me and wants to have their baby girl's labia pricked. Nothing disfiguring, just to draw a drop of blood or two. (This is indeed a form of FGC practiced. Not all FGC is of the infibulation sort.) They want it done with local anesthetic, and under sterile conditions. The parents believe there is societal and medical benefit to this.

I tell my pro-circ coworkers when they understand their reaction to the above and why, then perhaps they'll understand my reaction to circumcising boys.

I have had people laugh at me when I suggest that instead of Tylenol, we use morphine for boys getting circed. But why not? Would you want your genitals cut on with only tylenol to help you out later? I am quite outspoken about this at work. It makes me crazy. Honestly, I feel more strongly about circ than about breastfeeding.

you go girl!!!!