Whether you're expecting a baby boy or have just welcomed your new little guy into the world, you have an important decision to make before you take your son home: whether to circumcise him. For some families, the choice is simple because it's based on cultural or religious beliefs. But for others, the right option isn't as clear. Before you make a circumcision decision, it's important to talk to your doctor and consider some of the issues. Boys are born with a hood of skin, called the foreskin, covering the head also called the glans of the penis. In circumcision, the foreskin is surgically removed, exposing the end of the penis.

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Before circumcision, the foreskin covers the tip of the penis glans. After circumcision, the tip of the penis is exposed. Circumcision is the surgical removal of the skin covering the tip of the penis.
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Circumcision of baby boys is an optional surgical procedure to remove the layer of skin called the foreskin or the prepuce that covers the head glans of the penis. It is most often done during the first few days after birth. Parents who decide to circumcise their newborn boys often do so for religious, social or cultural reasons. Ask for up-to-date information about the potential medical benefits and risks of circumcision. Problems resulting from the surgery are usually minor. Although serious complications are very rare, they do occur. These can include:. The risk of complications is lower in young babies than in older children. To minimize the risks, the procedure should be done by a trained and experienced practitioner using a sterile technique. Someone should follow up with you in the days after the procedure to make sure that bleeding has not increased.
Circumcision is the removal of the foreskin from the human penis. Topical or locally injected anesthesia is often used to reduce pain and physiologic stress. The positions of the world's major medical organizations range from a belief that elective circumcision of babies and children carries significant risks and offers no medical benefits to a belief that the procedure has a modest health benefit that outweighs small risks.