Circumcision is one of the oldest surgical procedures performed on earth. It is seen that it is practiced in many societies for both religious and hygienic purposes. On the other hand, the most appropriate age for circumcision has always been a matter of debate. Historically, the origin of circumcision goes back to Prophet Muhammad, who is known as the ancestor of the prophets in the three major religions. It dates back to Abraham. Hz. Abraham circumcised his son Isaac on the 8th day. Based on this practice, circumcision has been practiced in the Jewish community for centuries as a religious ritual on the 8th day of the newborn period. Although it is known that it was practiced in many different age periods in the Muslim society,
Hz. It is recorded that Muhammad had his grandchildren circumcised when they were 7 days old, that is, in the newborn period. Today, in the United States, approximately 60% of newborn boys are circumcised within the first 2 days of birth.
Leaving aside the historical dimension of circumcision and When examined in terms of 'evidence-based medicine', it has been shown in many scientific articles that the most correct age for circumcision is the 'NEONBORN PERIOD'. In a systematic review and meta-analysis study by Brian Morris and colleagues, it was shown that circumcision performed in the neonatal period has a lower complication rate than circumcision performed at older ages. In the same study, it is shown that the benefits of circumcision performed in the neonatal period are proportionally greater than those performed in later periods. For example, it has been reported that the rate of urinary tract infection is 10 times lower in boys who were circumcised in the newborn period than in those who were not circumcised. Apart from these, the risk of penile cancer in the long term decreases by 22 times, and it has also been determined that the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (AIDS, syphilis, gonorrhea) is significantly reduced.
Newborn. To list the advantages of circumcision;
Circumcision performed under local anesthesia between the ages of 2 and 5 may cause short-term psychological deterioration. However, there is no information that circumcision practices performed during the newborn period negatively affect the baby psychologically.
Nowadays, in practical terms, the 'newborn' period can be considered as the first 6 months when local anesthesia can be easily performed.
With all this information, it is recommended that mothers and fathers who want to have their sons circumcised should consult a urology or pediatric urology specialist within the first 6 months.
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