Infant Circumcision
If circumcision were a choice I had to have made, I would have run frantically from the hospital with my newborn son to protect him from the procedure. His father would have chased me down, insisting his son "look like he did." All I can say is I'm terribly relieved I didn't have to live through that. Nor did I have to make the agonizing choice of protecting my baby from pain or disrespecting my husband. It would have been a huge battle of conscience. I was spared and given daughters.
The decision to circumcise an infant boy or not is, in the USA and I'm assuming, most of the world, still a parent's sole responsibility. More and more doctors and pediatricians are recommending against routine circumcision. The controversy is beginning to reach epidemic proportions and will soon be a major issue facing new parents. I feel very sorry for those parents. They will be bombarded with opinions at every turn and surely go though hell with it, unless they have settled this issue between them before the baby's birth. Hopefully, they will agree. The problem I foresee is the parents not agreeing on circumcision, creating a stressful situation where there should be only joy.
Cultural tradition and religious practices notwithstanding, there is no longer a medical or rational reason to circumcise a child other than for purely "cosmetic" reasons. Circumcision is a very painful procedure, performed on a completely innocent and unsuspecting baby. This procedure rattles me to the point that I have refused to attend the Bris of more than one friend's baby son. (A Bris is a Jewish ceremony whereby a Rabbi circumcises an infant boy ... with a lot of witnesses.) Please understand, I have absolutely nothing against the Jewish faith. I have nothing against any faith, even if I do not agree with their beliefs or practices. I DO, however, have something against anyone who inflicts pain on an innocent child. This would include some cultures that also routinely circumcise adolescent girls. If we agree that this is a barbaric ceremony, can we then apply some of that sensibility to infant boys? Sure, male circumcision does not alter a boy sexually but it does cause considerable pain to our babies without any apparent benefit to the child. The issue of cleanliness is no longer a factor. In modern society, frequent bathing is as common as brushing one's hair.
Routine circumcision is obviously not malicious intent to senselessly cause pain to an infant, however, there is much information available today, most of which supports the case against circumcising. Not at least questioning this practice is burying one's head in the sand no matter how the parents choose to proceed.
Consider the recent poll numbers obtained by American Baby magazine on circumcision:
57% chose to circumcise
42% chose not to
2% were undecided
20% said it was a hard decision to make.
Granted, as life decisions go, circumcision is not one of the most enormous in relation to the impact it will have on our babies. I believe it is more an issue of questioning generally accepted practices that no longer serve logical purposes. As neonatal circumcision is still performed on the majority of boys, (at least in the United States), this controversy should continue for a number of years. It will be interesting to see how our culture progresses and what the poll numbers will be like ten years from now.
Copyright ? 2000-2002- Rexanne Mancini
Rexanne Mancini is the mother of two daughters, Justice and Liberty. She is a novelist, freelance writer and maintains an extensive yet informal parenting and family web site, Rexanne.com ? http://www.rexanne.com -Visit her site for good advice, award-winning Internet holiday pages and some humor to help you cope. Subscribe to her free newsletter, Rexanne's Web Review, for a monthly dose of Rexanne: http://www.rexanne.com/rwr-archives.html
 Google News Updated : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 08:08:09 GMT Couric getting a kick out of Web freedom - Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune - By Matea Gold | Tribune Newspapers NEW YORK—Katie Couric was listening to Declan McCullagh, CNet's chief political correspondent, explain Barack Obama's and John McCain's stances on Net neutrality. Survivors Enjoy Watching 'Stand Up To Cancer' Katie Couric teams with rival anchors to 'Stand Up to Cancer' Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:04:17 GMT EA's big bet on Spore - San Jose Mercury News
San Jose Mercury News - By Steve Johnson In unveiling their much-anticipated and long-delayed video game "Spore" in North America today, executives at Electronic Arts hope to counter critics who have faulted the Redwood City company for becoming fat and happy in recent years ... In the Beginning, Finally Sims creator hopes to soar with Spore Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:07:31 GMT Google Chrome Reflects A Desktop In Decline - InformationWeek
InformationWeek - After 10 years as a company, Google is making the Chrome browser key to the coming of age of cloud computing, or software as a service. Mozilla releases second Firefox 3.1 alpha Mozilla updates Firefox 3.1 with Alpha 2 build Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 21:46:03 GMT Evans KOs Liddell at UFC 88 - FOXSports.com FOXSports.com - by Elias Cepeda, InsideFighting.com Rashad Evans shot himself straight to the top of the long list of challengers in the UFC's light heavyweight division with a devastating knockout win over the sport of MMA's top name and former champion, ... Rashad Evans knocks out Chuck Liddell Liddell in need of a fresh approach Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 06:18:30 GMT Hurricane Ike Strengthens to Category 4, Raises Fears From ... - FOXNews
FOXNews - Sept. 6: This satellite image taken at 3:45 pm EDT shows a swirl of clouds north of Hispaniola associated with Hurricane Ike. Sept. Video: 'Dangerous' Ike Aims for Turks and Caicos Ike hits Turks and Caicos islands as Category 4 hurricane with ... Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 05:13:03 GMT Tracing TV's bloodlines - Cape Cod Times
Cape Cod Times - By CAPE COD TIMES Vampires are big business, whether dominating the best-seller list in Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series of books for three years or starring in an endless stream of movies that portray the mysterious bloodsuckers as scary, ... 'True Blood': Undead On Arrival 'True Blood' offers edgy inspection of tolerance Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:14:40 GMT In the neighborhood of a title once again - Boston Globe
Boston Globe - By Bud Collins Or should I say Herr Roger, as he is addressed in his hometown, Basel. He does better in this sector, the Flushing section of the New York borough of Queens, than he ever did in Switzerland, and Roger Federer says he feels "a little bit ... Video: Federer Beats Djokovic to Reach US Open Final Federer Storms Into Final Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:28:11 GMT More Web Site Traffic |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... For years, we have been taught that 13 is an... Read More Even if your baby is just weeks old now, you'll... Read More The crying ? oh, the crying. A colicky baby can... Read More When most new parents are preparing for the arrival of... Read More All parents want something absolutely unique for their baby. Be... Read More If you're a parent with a young child then here's... Read More Decorating a nursery for your new baby can be a... Read More Having a baby can be one the most life-changing experiences... Read More Besides the fact that they were built to do so,... Read More Here you will learn how to make and where to... Read More You are at the end of your rope. You have... Read More Your attitude and actions have a huge impact on your... Read More Babies and young children have thinner and more delicate skin... Read More Sooner or later, your new baby will develop a fever.... Read More Before you had kids you probably witnessed an out of... Read More How To Clone The Perfect BabySheep, Cows, pigs, mice, donkeys,... Read More How Can We Help Children Learn about Character?Children learn about... Read More There is nothing more fun than getting your baby used... Read More Communication between the guests would be wise to prevent any... Read More At least one third of households have their TV turned... Read More Using baby shower checklist-hostess are the best way to stay... Read More Jean Piaget has allowed us many insights into child cognitive... Read More The best baby games for baby showers to entertain all... Read More Throwing a surprise baby shower doesn't have to be difficult.... Read More Many moms like to think that as soon as their... Read More
Adsense
websites
13 Donts on Child Safety
Family Life or How to Buy Chair for a New Baby
White Noise and 10 other Soothing Sounds for Calming a Colicky Infant
New Parents Rely on Other Moms & Dads to Prepare for Baby
Unique Baby Bedding - Because Every Baby is Special
Solving Baby Sleep Problems - Its Time to Sleep
Baby Room Themes: Fun Ideas Your Baby Will Love
Tips For a First-Time Mom
Movement and Infants
Baby Shower Centerpieces That Double as a Gift!
Home Remedies for Colic
Potty Training Techniques That Dont Work
Protecting Your Baby and Toddler from the Sun
Should I Call The Doctor If My Baby Has A Fever
Triumphing Over Tantrums
How To Clone The Perfect Baby
Helping Your Baby Develop Character
Baby Pool Floats ? Teach Babies To Swim With Fun and Safety
Baby Furniture Buyers Guide
How Much TV Is Too Much For Your Toddler
Baby Shower Checklist-Hostess
Theory of Child Cognitive Development
Baby Shower Game Distraction
A Surprise Baby Shower Can Be the Perfect Way to Celebrate
The Scoop on Giving Your Baby Juice
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
For Mother and Baby ? What Do You Give? A Gift Basket of Course!
The choice for a baby or an infant gift can... Read More
Baby Crib Safety - Frequently Asked Questions
The crib is where your baby will spend a lot... Read More
Baby?s First Shoes: How to Choose the Right Ones
Any parent of an active toddler has asked this question:... Read More
Baby Cribs - Safety Is Key
You have just learned that you are expecting a baby.... Read More
Baby Shower for Second Baby
Having a shower for second baby used to be considered... Read More
Baby Shower Gifts
As a host, you need to consider the people that... Read More
How to Save Money on Wedding and Baby Shower Favors
Planning on having a wedding or baby shower soon? Getting... Read More
Potty Training Dolls - Why Use a Potty Training Doll to Assist in Potty Training Your Child?
The idea of using potty dolls to potty train toddlers... Read More
Tips For a First-Time Mom
Having a baby can be one the most life-changing experiences... Read More
7 Stages of Potty Training
There are seven stages of potty training. They begin with... Read More
Baby Shower Food Items
Baby shower food items are one of the most important... Read More
A New Baby can be Expensive!
A new baby brings a lot of joy and hope... Read More
Choosing a Personalized Baby Gift
Have you been invited to a baby shower or asked... Read More
The 7 Biggest Baby Sleep Mistakes That Parents Make
When parents face difficulties with infant and child sleep issues,... Read More
How to Have the Perfect Baby Boy Invitations
Baby boy invitations are the first thing you'll need to... Read More
The Personality Traits of a Capricorn Baby
Your Capricorn Baby..December 23 - January 19Capricorn babies thrive on... Read More
Baby Crib Advice and Tips
Congratulations! You have just learned that you are having a... Read More
Baby Clipart for All Your Baby Shower Printing Needs
Baby clipart is the perfect accent to all of your... Read More
Baby Pool Floats ? Teach Babies To Swim With Fun and Safety
There is nothing more fun than getting your baby used... Read More
Unique Baby Bedding - Because Every Baby is Special
All parents want something absolutely unique for their baby. Be... Read More
Perfect Baby Shower Hostess Gifts
Picture this; you are invited to a baby shower. How... Read More
Safely Feeding Babies - 10 Important Tips
Babies usually triple their birth weight the first year. That's... Read More
Traveling With Babies
If you start baby travel slowly and plan wisely, both... Read More
Unique and Unusual Baby Names
Today one of the biggest trends in naming is choosing... Read More
Baby Dangers New Parents Need to Know About
This Spring many new parents will welcome new additions into... Read More
Babies & Toddler |