In male infants, circumcision is a surgical operation which involves tearing the foreskin away from the glans (head) of the penis, clamping it and cutting it off.
Linda Richardson, celebrity baby nurse, provides tips on how to properly care for a newborn circumcision. Caring for your little guy's most sensitive area after such a procedure might seem tricky, but there are actually just a few simple steps.
After the circumcision, the tip of the penis may seem raw or yellowish for seven to ten days. Keep the area as clean as possible by washing your baby's penis with soap and water every day. Change his diapers often so that urine and stool do not cause infection.
If doctors have dressed the penis in gauze, apply a new bandage each time you change his diaper. Coat the gauze with petroleum jelly to keep it from sticking.
Some doctors apply a plastic ring instead of a bandage. This will drop off by itself within five to eight days.
Complications from a circumcision are rare. However, every surgery carries some risk. The AAP reports that complications occur in 1 in 200 to 1 in 500 circumcised newborn males. The most frequent complications are minor bleeding and local infection, both of which can be easily treated by your child's doctor. Call your pediatrician right away if:
- Your baby does not urinate normally within 6 to 8 hours after the circumcision.
- There is persistent bleeding.
- There is redness around the tip of the penis that gets worse after 3 to 5 days.
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