Babies are circumcised for a combination of medical, cultural, and religious reasons. In the United States, where roughly half of newborn males are circumcised, many parents choose the procedure based on potential health benefits, family tradition, or religious practice. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) concluded that the health benefits of newborn male circumcision outweigh the risks, though it stops short of recommending the procedure universally, leaving the decision to parents.
The Medical Case for Circumcision
The strongest medical argument involves urinary tract infections in infancy. During the first three to six months of life, UTI rates are at least ten times higher in uncircumcised boys compared to circumcised boys. While UTIs in infants are relatively uncommon overall, they can lead to kidney infections and hospitalization in newborns, so the risk reduction is meaningful during that vulnerable window.
Later in life, circumcision offers protection against sexually transmitted infections. Three large randomized trials found that circumcision reduces the risk of female-to-male HIV transmission by approximately 60%, a finding significant enough that the World Health Organization endorsed voluntary circumcision as an HIV prevention strategy in 2007. The AAP also identified benefits for reducing transmission of certain other STIs and for lowering the already-rare risk of penile cancer.
Circumcision also eliminates the possibility of phimosis, a condition where the foreskin becomes too tight to retract. About 1% of uncircumcised boys still have problematic phimosis by adolescence, sometimes requiring medical treatment or later circumcision. Related conditions like paraphimosis (where a retracted foreskin gets stuck) and balanitis (infection under the foreskin) are also prevented entirely.
Religious and Cultural Reasons
For many families, the decision has nothing to do with medicine. In Judaism, circumcision on the eighth day of life is one of the oldest continuously practiced religious rituals, rooted in the covenant between Abraham and God described in the Torah. In Islam, circumcision is considered part of the prophetic tradition and is practiced widely, though the timing varies by culture. These religious motivations predate any modern medical research by thousands of years.
Cultural norms also play a role. Some parents want their son to “look like” his father or peers, particularly in communities where circumcision is common. This social consideration is less prominent than it once was, as circumcision rates have declined in parts of the U.S. and vary significantly by region. In much of Europe, Latin America, and East Asia, routine newborn circumcision is uncommon, and cultural expectations run the other direction.
How Safe the Procedure Is
Newborn circumcision has a low complication rate. A large study covering U.S. medical settings from 2001 to 2010 found that total adverse events occurred in slightly less than half a percent of procedures. The most common issue requiring follow-up was incomplete circumcision needing minor repair. Serious complications like significant bleeding or infection are rare.
That said, certain conditions make the procedure unsafe or require it to be delayed. Babies born with hypospadias (where the urinary opening is on the underside of the penis rather than the tip) should not be circumcised because the foreskin tissue may be needed for corrective surgery later. The same applies to chordee, a curvature of the penis present at birth, and anatomical variations like buried or webbed penis. A family history of bleeding disorders is a critical factor to disclose before the procedure, as the most severe bleeding complications reported have occurred in boys with undiagnosed clotting problems.
Pain Management During the Procedure
Newborns do feel pain during circumcision, and the AAP has recommended since 1999 that some form of pain relief be used. The standard approach is a local nerve block, a small injection of numbing medication at the base of the penis. A topical numbing cream is sometimes used as an alternative, though it provides less complete pain relief. Comfort measures like sugar-dipped pacifiers and swaddling help but are not adequate on their own and should only supplement, not replace, actual anesthesia.
What Recovery Looks Like
The procedure itself takes about 10 minutes for a newborn and is typically performed in the first few days of life, often before leaving the hospital. Afterward, the tip of the penis will look red and swollen, and a yellowish film may develop over the healing area. This is normal and not a sign of infection.
The penis generally starts looking noticeably better within 7 to 10 days. During that time, you’ll apply petroleum jelly with each diaper change to keep the area from sticking to the diaper. Signs that warrant a call to your pediatrician include severe swelling, redness spreading down the shaft, a red streak, or thick yellow discharge, all of which could indicate infection.
What Circumcision Doesn’t Affect
One common concern parents have is whether circumcision changes sexual function later in life. The AAP’s review of the evidence found that male circumcision does not appear to adversely affect penile sensitivity, sexual function, or sexual satisfaction. This finding held across multiple studies examining adult outcomes, which is relevant since the decision is made long before the child can weigh in himself.
Why It Remains a Personal Decision
The AAP’s position captures the tension well: the benefits are real but not overwhelming enough to recommend circumcision for every baby. The health advantages are most pronounced in specific contexts, like populations with high HIV prevalence, while the risks, though small, are not zero. For families with strong religious or cultural ties to the practice, the decision is straightforward. For families without those ties, it comes down to weighing modest medical benefits against the reality of an elective surgical procedure on a newborn. Neither choice is medically wrong.