An Illustrated Guide to Pediatric Urology

Abstract

Infant male circumcision is genital cutting that involves removal of some or all of the foreskin of the penis. Predating history, circumcision likely originated as a ritual practice or form of tribal marking. The pain and trauma of the procedure are linked to disruptions of neonatal sleep, breastfeeding, and maternal-infant bonding along with subsequent increased risks of sudden infant death syndrome, autism, and attention deficit disorder during childhood; in adults, it is linked to difficulty expressing emotions, sexual dysfunction, and symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder. Anesthetic is often not used and is only partially effective. The non-medical practice of circumcision remains a controversial topic and many of the decades old studies, which have not been replicated, bear repeating using modern methods of evaluation.