I know we have discussed this before but an experience this week brought this
back to mind. I happened to be in the nursery while a "typical American
circumcision was going on". It took about 15 minutes and by the end the baby
was out cold about as shut down as I could imagine. Mother was no where near
by to comfort this child.  As the mother who has watched the ritual
circumcision of 3 boys to date, I decided these that a circumcision and a
brit have about as much in common as ear piercing and suturing without
anesthesia ( I actually originally though of branding but have since toned
down.   A well done brit takes less than 5 minutes and until the actual
cutting the child is held by a person, not strapped down in a cold
contraption and immediately there after is given to his mother to comfort and
soon after to nurse). I also strongly discourage patients from circumcision
unless they have a religious reason to do so.  The problem with waiting to
after hospitalization for those of my patients who do decide to circumcise
anyway is that the OBs will not do it after d/c, no urologist in our area
will do an elective circ on a Medicaid patient and it is not standard of care
in our area for this to be done by pediatrics (Although I wish it was, at
least we have some ongoing care of the infant)
--
****************************************************
*  Deena Zimmerman MD MPH                          *
*  Department of Pediatrics                        *
*  UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School        *
*  1 RWJ Place                                     *
*  New Brunswick, NJ 08903                         *
*                                                  *
*      phone (908) 235-7248                        *
*      fax   (908) 235-7345                        *
*      email  [log in to unmask] (internet)        *
****************************************************