Circumcision ban getting people snippy.

[steverhcp02]

theprof00 said:

steverhcp02 said:
Well, being a nurse and witnessing dozens of circumcisions i can tell you a couple of things. Babies often times sleep through them. I understand it helps all the people saying this is inhumane to use words like mutilation and deform, but the fact of the matter if a baby IS crying its generally because we are restraining their legs and the confinement in a non "warm" way, like when we wrap in a blanket is what causes outbursts.

How do we solve these outbursts? A simple glucose and water solution on a pacifier puts the babies at ease, yes even with the "mutilation" in progress.

Using scary words like mutilation and disfigurement is easy and fun to sensationalize a very safe, very practical procedure.

To people saying "pulling back skin and washing is easy" It is, the same way as drinking 8 glasses of water a day, breathing deeply upright in bed is but people still get pneumonia and people still dont do these things every day because while its easy its not always done because as a society we pay attention to extremely apparent physical things which under your foreskin is not.

So yes, parents make an executive decision based on the information we give them of pros and cons. Cons being possible stimulation. Cons can include a possible mistake, just as any medical procedure. We are honest and as a medical profession who cares for countless readmmision of people not doing "easy" things, im completely in favor of a parent making an informed decision for their newborn BEFORE he can talk and rationalize or justify his choice which at that time would be traumatic to lose a part of your body, however small.

I hope all of you parents who want your kids to decide let them choose their meals, bedtimes and if they want to go to school. It must be very liberating for them to be in charge of such "serious" things at that age.

THe problem I have with the whole situation is really not about the hygeine or the mutilation for safety. It's a distinguishing mark used since before biblical times to tell one race or religious affiliate from another, and in general, just has very strong religious connotations.

Well i run into that too with jehovas witness. They could have terrible trauma and be bleeding out but simply wont accept blood or blood products. We educate, inform them of possible outcomes and respect their CHOICE. We provide comfort and do everything we can, some accept platelets, frozen plasma etc. becuase when youre actively dying its funny but 9 times out of 10 people want to live regardless of "religious policy"

the fact of the matter is its a choice, we have literature and we have facts to back up the benefits. we also have facts to back up the possible lack of benefits. Some people simply argue it doesnt make a difference in aids/cancer and thats fine. Most of the medical community agrees that it does far more good than having it not done, but we let the parents decide.

You can argue until youre blue in the face and rightfuly so about the pros or cons or evidence of lack of benefit etc. We know for a FACT a few things.

1) Foreskin has no benefit in protecting the penis throughout the life of a human being

2) Meticulous care of the glans penis is necessary throughout life.

3) Bacteria dwell in dark, warm moist places, this is under the foreskin

Now, i havent seen solid evidence about lack of pain, i do know first hand that babies have slept right through the procedure and they balled their eyes out after being restrained in their legs only to have fall right back to sleep before the snipping and sleep through it. Ive seen babies suck a pacifier right through the procedure away without flinching at the incision or clamping. I believe from what ive witnessed it causes no distress. Thats what i tell mothers and fathers who ask, and i say we dont know for sure. We say its not medically necessary but the potential outcomes from doing it are positive whereas there is a chance based on the facts we know about bacteria and the need to clean meticulously its difficult to prevent infections in some instances as the child grows and even in adulthood.

Anytime people are petitioning to remove the choice of something its scary. Anytime people who (liek the poster above talking about colostomy "bags" and rmeoving throats at birth etc) base this reasoning on a complete lack of education and more idealistic religious or unfounded bizarre analogies its scarier.

In the end its a choice, a choice thats not forced or pushed on parents. Its religiously driven, if we start replacing science and medicine based on religion we are in trouble.