Newborn Health

Families who are pregnant or those who just delivered may:

• Seek real expertise in deciding on newborn circumcision or not
• Love their obstetrician, but just want a pediatric specialist to circumcise their son
• Not be interested in circumcision, but would like expert advise on how to care for their boy’s foreskin

• To satisfy religious beliefs.
• It is more hygienic because circumcision exposes the head of the penis (the glans) so that personal hygiene is easier than when the boy has foreskin.
• The father/husband is circumcised and the family wants the “boys” to look alike.
• Other boys in the family are circumcised and the family wants the children to look alike.
• The grandparents would like the newborn circumcised.
• The child was just adopted and the family would like him circumcised.
• While not all uncircumcised males experience these, circumcision does avoid problems of “phimosis,” (tight foreskin) and pain with erections.

1. A surgical complication that requires further surgery — if done in a controlled setting, complications are unusual.
2. Too much or little skin is removed requiring further surgery — A good result after circumcision involves removing the foreskin surrounding the base of the head of the penis (glans)
3. Bleeding following circumcision requiring emergency medical /surgical care — Bleeding is unusual after newborn circumcision. To assure that bleeding does not have a chance to harm the boy, DUNH asks parents to check for bleeding every few hours after leaving the facility.
4. Circumcision was done without recognizing that a penis was not “normal” enough to circumcise — DUNH has developed a unique checklist which assures the penis is suitable before circumcision is performed.
5. Circumcision was done without recognizing that a bleeding disorder runs in the family — Parents may have a history of bleeding disorders and so the boy’s pediatrician determines the medical care such situations require.

A revision of the circumcision could be needed:

• Skin adhesions formed because no one taught the family how to care for the penis after surgery. DUNH provides families with detailed information on how to care for the circumcision properly.
• The penis skin grew back to cover the head of the penis. “My pediatrician said this is because my boy became overweight.” — While being overweight is becoming increasingly common in the US, having families be cognizant of retracting the skin which covers the penis head will reduce problems of childhood obesity.

After an interview and examination shows the newborn’s genitalia are suitable for circumcision, the baby is soothed with Tylenol.  Then Local anesthesia is provided to reduce discomfort.  A brief feed soothes the boy.  Now circumcision is done by a DUNH team member.  The device used is tailored to the baby’s penis.  A dressing is applied.  This entire procedure takes about 20 minutes.  You are asked to remain in the office for up to an hour after the procedure to confirm safety and satisfaction.  An appointment for a follow-up visit is made.

Current physician practices offer circumcision before your obstetric discharge. DUNH provides you the new opportunity for circumcision to be done after you return home. You may desire this because:

• Your son will be older and will nurse better.
• Your home arrangements will be better settled.
• Questions about the procedure and its results can be better answered.
• If you were dissatisfied with a previous circumcision, you may want this procedure done by a Pediatric Urologist. 
  

Yes, we notice the boys have a remarkably smoother experience with the use of anesthetics.

Circumcision performed with local anesthesia is reserved for boys who are not too big for the surgical clamp typically used in the procedure.  Usually 2 weeks old or younger. After this age, other clamps are used but their use may be associated with bleeding or tissue bruising.  So DUNH recommends having the circumcision procedure performed by 2 weeks of age.

Contact: Jack S. Elder, M.D., FACS, FAAP
Email: jelder1@hfhs.org

Children’s Hospital of Michigan
Department of Pediatric Urology
3901 Beaubien Blvd.
Detroit, MI 48201
Phone: (313) 745-5588

Vattikuti Urology Institute, Henry Ford Hospital
2799 West Grand Blvd., K-9
Detroit, MI 48202
Phone: (313) 916-7025

Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital
6777 West Maple Rd
West Bloomfield, MI 48322
Phone: 313-916-7025

Provide your contact information, let us know if you are pregnant or just delivered and if you would like to:

• Consult regarding newborn circumcision
• Plan circumcision

Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Contact: Dr. Seth Alpert
Email: Seth.Alpert@nationwidechildrens.org

Provide your contact information, let us know if you are pregnant or just delivered and if you would like to:

• Consult regarding newborn circumcision
• Plan circumcision

Urology For Children
Phone: (856) 751-7880
Greater Philadelphia Area: Voorhees, Washington Township, and Camden, NJ, and Bethlehem, Langhorne, and Willow Grove

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
34th Ave and Civic Center Blvd.
Wood Bldg., 3rd floor, Division of Urology
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Contact: Michael Carr, MD, PhD
Email: carr@email.chop.edu

Provide your contact information, let us know if you are pregnant or just delivered and if you would like to:

• Consult regarding newborn circumcision
• Plan circumcision

Children’s Urology of Virginia
8700 Stony Point Parkway
Suite 250
Richmond VA 23235

Contact: Dr. John Edmondson
Email: jedmondson@cu-va.com
Phone: (804) 272-2411
Fax: (804) 272-3370

Provide your contact information, let us know if you are pregnant or just delivered and if you would like to:

• Consult regarding newborn circumcision
• Plan circumcision