Having a little boy comes with a big decision – should you circumcise your baby? Circumcision is a hot button topic. It ranks up there with baby ear piercing (which happens to be one of my most controversial, intensely debated articles).
There are pros and cons of circumcision, and the choice is ultimately the parents.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) used to be neutral on the subject of circumcision. But in 1999, they changed their opinion and they do not recommend routine circumcision. The AAP argues that circumcision is not essential to your baby’s health, so as parents, you must choice what is best for your son. You should think carefully about the benefits as well as the risks of the procedure.
As of January 2012, the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend all baby boys to be circumcised. The benefits are not sufficient for them to recommend circumcision. However, by August of the same year, there was new evidence that the health benefits outweighed the risk for infant male circumcision. The American Academy of Pediatrics revised their policy statement, and still said that the health benefits were not strong enough to recommend routine circumcision for all little boys. So the choice to have your son circumcised is still up to you – the mom and dad.