You may decide to have your Newborn circumcised for religious purposes or for a medical reason. Circumcision in male Newborn is a common and safe procedure. If you’re planning to do so, it’s important to discuss the procedures and the aftercare with a professional doctor. At Circumcision Clinic, we’re here to help.
What is circumcision?
Circumcision in Newborn is a procedure that involves removing the foreskin or head of the penis and is usually done before they leave the hospital or within the first 2 weeks after birth. This is the best time to perform a circumcision and carries minimal risks when done by circumcision specialists. In addition, the psychological stress endured by babies is much less than when they are older.
We welcome parents to be present during the procedure, both during the administration of the anesthetic and the actual performance of the circumcision. We also recommend that you feed the Newborn baby one hour before the procedure so they are not irritable because they are hungry. Instructions for care of the circumcision are provided to the parents. We are also available by phone if parents have questions following the circumcision procedure.
Remember that your child will be having a surgery. Please arrange your schedule so you may spend time comforting him throughout the day.
Plastibell Circumcision
Plastibell procedure:
The baby is placed on a flat surface with arms and legs restrained.
He will receive a local anaesthetic in the form of an injection at the base of his penis. The doctor will wait for few minutes to allow the anaesthetic to takes an effect.
The doctor will clean the area with antiseptic solution and drape it with sterile towels. The foreskin is freed off the entire glans and completely retracted to expose the whole glans, then the correct size Plastibell is selected by testing it directly on the glans. The foreskin is pulled over the Plastibell. The tie is applied on the Plastibell groove using a surgeon’s knot for the first throw. The foreskin is excised just past the outermost edge of the Plastibell. Final checking for bleeding.
Healing process:
The plastic ring remains on the penis until foreskin falls off naturally in 7-14 days. During this time, your son’s foreskin may darken around the ring until it becomes black.
The tip may be sore, and the penis itself may look red and swollen. You may see a yellow crust on the tip as well. This is normal and should go away on its own in a few days.
The black skin along with the ring starts detaching from one side. Eventually the ring becomes very loose and falls off. Young babies tend to complete the process quicker, while older children tend to take the longest. Once the ring detaches, the swelling and discomfort starts subsiding.
Taking care of your child after the procedure:
- Always wash your hands before and after touching the circumcision area.
- Gently wash your baby’s penis with plain, warm water after each diaper change, and pat it dry.
- Do not use soap.
- Do not try to remove the film that forms on the penis. The film will go away on its own.
Application of the recommended cream:
Apply the recommended cream after each wash to cover the head of the penis and surrounding the ring using clean hands.
If you prefer not to touch the area, the cream can be applied to the part of the nappy in contact with the penis.
Nappy changes:
For children still using a nappy, it is important to make sure the nappy is always clean and dry. Fasten your baby’s diapers loosely so that there is less pressure on the penis while it heals.
Painkillers:
After his circumcision, your baby may be fussy and irritable. Hold him carefully so you don’t put pressure on his penis.
Each child will experience a different amount of pain. Most of the children will require a painkillers during the healing period.
For the first 24 hours, children usually experience the maximum pain and regular painkillers are usually required.
After 24 hours, the amount of pain is much less and the parents should judge how much discomfort their child is in and give painkillers when needed. It is not unusual for children to have some irritation when the ring start detaching.
Alarming signs
Urinary retention: If the child unable to pass urine after 12 hours, this could be due to pain, swelling, or urinary retention. Useful to wash with salty water and give painkillers.
Bleeding: You may notice spots or few drops of blood on the nappy in the first few days which is usual, however if the blood become heavy or continuous this need immediate attention.
Ring not detached after 2 weeks: The average time for the ring to fall off is within 10 days, however some children can take longer. If the ring didn’t fall off in the time expected you need to contact the doctor to check for any abnormality occasionally the ring slips backward on the shaft of the penis. Call us if that happen.
Unwell child: If the child becomes unwell with high temperature and becomes drowsy and very irritable, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Common signs that you don’t need to worry about:
Bruising in the shaft or at the base of the penis from the local anaesthetic injection Swelling and redness.
Moderate swelling and redness around the ring is normal and usually getting worse until the ring detached.
Discharge: small amount of yellow or white discharge covering the tip and around the ring are normal and usually disappear when the ring fall. This sometimes give bad smell as the skin dying.
After the ring detached:
The child can now go back to normal washing and diapering.
Useful to use cream for few days until the swelling and redness disappear.
Daily massaging:
After the ring has detached the remaining shaft skin should be gently massaged (away from the tip of the penis) daily for at least a month. This prevents sticking of the skin to the glans (head of the penis). For the children with excessive fat in the pubic area or for those with buried penis, the doctor may have advised you to perform more frequent massage with every nappy change. The excessive fat in pubic area will push the skin forward and make the penis sinking inside. This usually improve with time when the child grow and the fat become less.