Male Neonatal Circumcision Research Articles

The 1982 Medicaid Funding Cessation for Circumcision in California and Circumcision Rates.

We investigated California's 1982 decision to stop funding Medicaid neonatal circumcision. We examined male neonatal circumcision rates for those born 1977-1981 and 1983-1987 by region, race, and insurance status. Overall, West-Medicaid circumcision rates decreased from 56.5% in 1979-81 to 26.7% in 1983-85. California's 1982 decision to defund Medicaid circumcision coverage was associated with a 25.0-30.8% point decrease in West-Medicaid circumcision rates compared other groups, p < 0.01. This provides the earliest data to support that funding coverage for neonatal circumcision affects circumcision rates and magnifies healthcare disparities. Other states have since defunded Medicaid male neonatal circumcision. Circumcision have been associated with lower rates of sexually transmitted infections including HIV, and urinary tract infections. Lawmakers should consider re-funding Medicaid male neonatal circumcision.

Safety, acceptability, and feasibility of male circumcision using the alisklamp device

Greater than 20 surgical circumcision devices are available worldwide for male circumcision. These have been developed so as to decrease complications. The hemostasis system classifies these devices as crush, clamp or ligature. This study assessed the safety, acceptability, and feasibility of male neonatal circumcision using the Alisklamp device (AKD). The AKD is one of the latest medical devices designed for assisted circumcision. It takes less time to install, has a better complication rate, and has a better cosmetic appearance than conventional surgical circumcision. The study was divided into two sections: assessing the safety of the AKD and evaluating parents' satisfaction. Convenience sampling was used in this study. In the first section, a form was filled by operating pediatric surgeon for children whose parents agreed to participate in the study. In the second section, a total of 100 male children were included in the study based on the sample size guidelines of the World Health Organization. The circumcision was performed by an experienced pediatric surgeon following the manufacturer's instructions. The procedures were completed without AKD failure or unwelcome preputial loss. The results showed that 63.54% of the children were circumcised in their first four weeks of life. About 60.42% of the procedures were completed within 5-10min. Also, 95.83% of the children had no postoperative complications. Further, 90.63% of parents were satisfied with the AKD and willing to recommend it to others. During the follow-up, all of the children's parents were pleased with the cosmetic and final results of the AKD. In conclusion, the AKD has an outstanding protection profile suitable for male circumcision procedures.

Situating parents’ circumcision decision-making within health research, knowledge, and experience

This research analyses the narratives of 33 parents in the United States concerning their decisions to circumcise or not circumcise their children. The United States differs from other nations in the Global North due to its comparatively high rates of male neonatal circumcision, a procedure that is performed as preventative surgery, rather than for cultural or religious indications. However, in recent years, rates of circumcision have begun to decline. This study sought to gain a nuanced understanding of these trends by examining the factors that influenced the parents in our sample. The results show that parents' circumcision decisions were affected by their evaluations of the procedure's medical risks and benefits, their considerations of the relationship between being circumcised, hygiene, and health, as well as their interactions with healthcare providers. Also relevant to their decision were their experiences circumcising previous children. Interviews with five key informants, including medical providers and trained childbirth assistants, offer further context to findings regarding the sometimes-unequal power dynamics between providers and parents. The results in this study also raise questions about the extent of informed consent for this procedure. Overall, the findings in this research offer valuable insights into parents' decision-making processes about male circumcision.

Neonatal circumcision and prematurity are associated with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the most common cause of postneonatal unexplained infant death. The allostatic load hypothesis posits that SIDS is the result of cumulative perinatal painful, stressful, or traumatic exposures that tax neonatal regulatory systems. To test the predictions of the allostatic load hypothesis we explored the relationships between SIDS and two common phenotypes, male neonatal circumcision (MNC) and prematurity. We collated latitudinal data from 15 countries and 40 US states sampled during 2009 and 2013. We used linear regression analyses and likelihood ratio tests to calculate the association between SIDS and the phenotypes. SIDS mortality rate was significantly and positively correlated with MNC. Globally (weighted): Increase of 0.06 (95% CI: 0.01-0.1, t = 2.86, p = 0.01) per 1000 SIDS mortality per 10% increase in circumcision rate. US (weighted): Increase of 0.1 (95% CI: 0.03-0.16, t = 2.81, p = 0.01) per 1000 unexplained mortality per 10% increase in circumcision rate. US states in which Medicaid covers MNC had significantly higher MNC rates (χ̄ = 0.72 vs 0.49, p = 0.007) and male/female ratio of SIDS deaths (χ̄ = 1.48 vs 1.125, p = 0.015) than other US states. Prematurity was also significantly and positively correlated with MNC. Globally: Increase of 0.5 (weighted: 95% CI: 0.02-0.086, t = 3.37, p = 0.004) per 1000 SIDS mortality per 10% increase in the prematurity rates. US: Increase of 1.9 (weighted: 95% CI: 0.06-0.32, t = 3.13, p = 0.004) per 1000 unexplained mortalities per 10% increase in the prematurity rates. Combined, the phenotypes increased the likelihood of SIDS. Epidemiological analyses are useful to generate hypotheses but cannot provide strong evidence of causality. Biological plausibility is provided by a growing body of experimental and clinical evidence linking aversive preterm and early-life SIDS events. Together with historical and anthropological evidence, our findings emphasize the necessity of cohort studies that consider these phenotypes with the aim of improving the identification of at-risk infants and reducing infant mortality. Preterm birth and neonatal circumcision are associated with a greater risk of SIDS, and efforts should be focused on reducing their rates.

Updates on the epidemiology and risk factors for penile cancer.

Penile cancer is a rare neoplasm representing less than 1% of all malignancies in the USA and Europe but is a significant public health hazard in the developing world. Male neonatal circumcision has been associated with a dramatic decrease in penile cancer rates with countries such as Israel, where circumcision is widely performed, having the lowest incidence in the world at <0.1% of malignancies. Many risk factors have been identified for penile cancer including phimosis, lack of circumcision, obesity, lichen sclerosis, chronic inflammation, smoking, UVA phototherapy, socioeconomic status, human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and immune compromised states. The relationship between these factors and invasive disease varies and continues to be investigated. Our objective was to present a contemporary overview of the epidemiology and risk factors for invasive penile cancer.

Factors associated with mothers’ decisions on male neonatal circumcision in Swaziland

Neonatal male circumcision is safer, easier and cheaper than adult male circumcision, but is not widely practised in Swaziland. It has been suggested as one of several ways of controlling the spread of HIV. We conducted research aimed at assessing mothers’ knowledge, attitudes and perceptions towards circumcision and reasons why mothers have their newly born male children circumcised. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Hlatikulu Government Hospital, a rural hospital in Shiselweni region, Swaziland. The target population was mothers with children younger than 6 months old who presented at the hospital. Of the 392 participants who were interviewed, 43 (11.2%) had circumcised their children. The participants’ ages ranged from 15 to 44 with a mean age of 25.3 years. All the respondents had a mean knowledge score of 7.8 out of a maximum possible of 11, a mean attitudes score of 3.6 out of 6 and a mean perception score of 1.8 out of 3. The main reasons for mothers circumcising their children were to keep the penile organ clean (97.7%), to reduce sexually transmitted infections when one is sexually active (97.7%) and to reduce HIV transmission (97.7%). Participants who did not circumcise their children cited mainly that their spouses did not approve (84.5%), that they were anxious about complications after the operation (44.4%) and fear that their newborns would feel pain (54.4%). The mothers in this study had high knowledge, positive attitudes and perceptions towards male neonatal circumcision, but the circumcision levels are still very low. Interventions need to be directed towards providing accurate information and resources that facilitate mothers, and to a greater extend fathers, in making the decision to circumcise their male children and being able to act on that decision.

Updated Parental Viewpoints on Male Neonatal Circumcision in the United States

Through a questionnaire, the authors sought to elicit information about initial attitudes concerning circumcision after reading a summary of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Policy Statement and, again, after reading a description of recent HIV/HPV studies. Predictors of increased support for circumcision included having a prior circumcised boy and being US born. Predictors of decreased support included being of Hispanic ethnicity and believing that the uncircumcised penis was more culturally normal. After reading the AAP statement, 86% of respondents remained favorable of elective circumcision, whereas 13% viewed it less favorably. After reading the passage about the HIV/HPV studies, the majority maintained their initial level of support. Certain characteristics were associated with an individual's desire to perform circumcision on his/her infant. Despite a slight decrease in support to perform circumcision after reading the AAP policy summary, respondents' initial attitudes toward circumcision were unchanged after subsequent review of recent HIV/HPV research.

Perspectives of Women About Pain in Neonatal Male Circumcision in Selected Rural Communities in Anambra State Southeastern Nigeria

This descriptive cross sectional study investigated mothers' perceptions about neonatal male circumcision pain using researcher-developed instruments. The data obtained from 184 nursing mothers of neonates show that although 86.93% subjects rated male neonatal circumcision pain as moderate to very severe, the procedure is performed (95.1%) without pain relief given, during or after. The pain caused discomforts for all family members. Babies were pacified with breast milk, touch, or other methods learnt from older women. Of the health care practitioners performing the procedure in the communities studied, 82.5% were nurses and midwives. Neonatal circumcision pain is accepted as a norm by this cohort and their care providers and not recognized as a condition to be preempted or relieved by any means pharmacological, which is substandard care. Pain relief is a client right. This finding calls for further research and professional review of health care providers' perspectives and capacity for circumcision pain management.

Epidermal inclusion cyst as a rare complication of neonatal male circumcision: a case report

IntroductionIbadan, Nigeria, has a very high rate of complications of male circumcision. In a previous survey, redundant or excessive loss of foreskin, skin bridges and injury to the glans penis were the major types of complications identified. Epidermal inclusion cyst complicating neonatal male circumcision appears to be extremely rare, and an extensive search of all databases revealed no reports in the recent literature.Case presentationIn 1992, a 10-year-old boy was seen at the urology outpatients clinic presenting with a globular swelling in the penile skin located at the ventral surface proximal to the coronal sulcus. The histology of the excised mass revealed an epidermal inclusion cyst. Since then, he has remained healthy.ConclusionsEpidermal inclusion cyst complicating male neonatal circumcision is extremely rare. The diagnosis is easy and a simple total excision is curative.

Male neonatal circumcision An evidence-based review

Male neonatal circumcision An evidence-based review

Effect of neonatal circumcision on pain responses during vaccination in boys

Using data from one of our randomised trials, we investigated post-hoc whether male neonatal circumcision is associated with a greater pain response to routine vaccination at 4 or 6 months. Pain response during routine vaccination with diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus (DPT) alone or DPT followed by Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate (HIB) was scored blind. 42 boys received DPT and 18 also received HIB. After DPT, median visual analogue scores by an observer were higher in the circumcised group (40 vs 26 mm, p=0·03) After HIB, circumcised infants had higher behavioural pain scores (8 vs 6, p=0·01) and cried longer (53 vs 19 s, p=0·02). Thus neonatal circumcision may affect pain response several months after the event.