Circumcision after a wk long stay at hospital due to UTI....(venting)
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Circumcision after a wk long stay at hospital due to UTI....(venting)
Today, poor C had his circumcision. He is resting but even in sleep looks like he is in pain. His little face is all furrowed. I've been in and out tears ever since the procedure.
He is 5 wks old this week. At week 3, we went to hospital w/ fever and didn't come home until he was 4 wks old. He had a UTI, which is highly uncommon for boys. After testing the kidneys and tracking the flow of urine for reflux, they determined nothing was wrong with him. It is just something that happened. However, uncircumsized may be a factor. Being that it is so rare for a boy unless they have inner plumming problems, the next logical place to look is the circumsision.
After doing all sorts of research on this procedure we opted to not do it. All the drs we spoke w/ since his birth and just prior replied "good!" when we mentioned our choice. Insurance considers it cosmetic. Everything I found says "statistically there is no health or hygine reason for it". WHERE WAS EVERYONE I AM MEETING NOW telling me their personal stories of their son getting it done at an older age? These are the same people I see all the time. I have met 4 people in one day telling me about their own son. The oldest being 8 when it was done due to rhuematic fever. This was my own Grandma Inlaw. Why didn't she tell us sooner? Then one of the drs at the hospital who did infact say uncircumsized does matter, did say "research shows 'no statiscally mentionalable' difference between circumsized and non. However, 10% of uncircumsized boys get UTIs." He did make it clear to me that, although research does not support the information, it is probably due to the lack of circumcision. Well 10% sound like an awful lot. No it is not a lot in the full spectrum of boys, but 10% of those NOT done? That seems like a lot. Okay, that was my vent.
For future reference for other moms on the fence about having it done, I would say "DO IT" and don't wait for the "chances are your son won't have problems." Of course, if you are gung ho about not doing it, that is a choice. But if you are not certain, then opt for doing it. At the time I did not relize how serious C's condition was when we were admitted. It was 2 days later after the antibiotics started working did I see what was at stake. The drs were VERY concerned that the infection (which was E.Coli) would move into the blood stream. I think all of you know how serious it is if that would have happened. And for a newborn, that happens very quickly! Thank God I didn't know this at the time.
Anyway, please say a prayer for little C that he can feel better very very soon and that the procedure went well and will heal properly. My heart is just breaking for him right now.
Thanks
Poor you and Poor C. It is so awful to see your child sick or in pain. Circumcision is such a big decision, I am so glad I have a girl so I didn't have to worry about it this time. Anyway, {{hugs}} to you and your little guy. It will be over before you know it.
Poor you and Poor C. It is so awful to see your child sick or in pain. Circumcision is such a big decision, I am so glad I have a girl so I didn't have to worry about it this time. Anyway, {{hugs}} to you and your little guy. It will be over before you know it.
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(((((Dana and C))))) Hugs and prayers.
Many prayers coming your way!!
Hugs and prayers to all of you. I'm sorry that you had such a rough road.
Ame
Ohhh, he is so miserable! Does anyone know how long the real pain lasts? They said the "bell" thing falls off within 3-7 days. Anyone had a baby done as late or older than this? What was your experience?
I just coated his binky w/ Karo to encourage him to settle down. He is calm for the moment...nope, I see the brows lowering  I think it will be a very long night.
Hi Dana,
It was a really tough decision for me, however, my DH was adamant about having it done. I said fine, but you are making the appointment, taking time off work and taking him in. I really wanted no part of hurting my little one. I had to go to the doctor's office because I was breastfeeding and had to feed right after (you can't feed them for 3 hours before).
DH wanted it done, because he had his done at 27 years old. He said it was surgery and more compliated and more painful later in life and he didn't want DS to suffer the years that he did.
So it was done. When we got home, DH went off to work and I was left with my poor little baby. Being a new mom I was nervous just about changing diapers in the first place. The nurse said I wouldn't have to change his dressing for 12 hours, which I was relieved cause DH could do when he got home. Well things don't always go as planned. DS had an explosive bm and I had to change is dressing alone. I cried and he cried through the whole thing. It was a very traumatic day for us both.
However, by three days it was almost healed and we were both feeling a lot better about the whole thing, I'm sure DS more than me. A friend of mine that works at Sick Kids Hospital here in Toronto says she see lots of kids with unirary tract infections (she says) cause because they were not circumsized. I'm glad we had it done.
Don't worry in a few days it will all be over with. Keep an eye out for infection and call your doc with any concerns. Big Hug.
(((Dana and C))) I hope he's feeling better soon.
I hope he is feeling better soon. I think this is one of those things that you can find all kinds of information on either way. People are either for or against it and can info to support that choice.
This is why we had DS done at birth. Lots of horror stories out there.
I remember the ring falling off at day 5. DS didn't seem to be in pain or discomfort after the procedure, so no real ideas on helping you with that.
Hope he is feeling better soon.
when nick and alex were born 10 and 8 years ago i had it done in the hospital before they went home i think nick was maybe 1 day old and i know alex was 3 days old when his was done didn't really cry or anything ..everything was pretty easy to do i'm sorry to hear he's not having a easy time of it = ( ..I hope he feels better soon ....
I always find this really, really weird. I think circumcision is really much more of a cultural thing than a health concern. I'm in Canada the rates are much lower then in the US and I know in my neck of the woods (Atlantic Canada)the rate is less the %10.
I do hpe your little guy is feeling better.
Awww, poor little guy. Hope he is feeling better soon.
{{{{{HUGS}}}}}
Hope he is feeling better soon.
How is he doing? Did the doc give you anything for his pain? Tylenol is oksy, just check with the office first. Is there some kind of topical anesthetic they can recomend or prescribe?
Ame
Thank you for this information. My Dear Friend just had a baby boy 12/28/04 and did not choose to have him circumsized. I will print this for her, although her son has not had any problems yet. Nice to be informed. I am sorry you are having a tough time. You and DS are in my prayers. M&M
{{{hugs}}} to both of you. I hope he is doing better today.
Dana,
Hope your little one is feeling better soon.
Regarding circumcision to prevent UTI, the following statistics might be of interest:
A study in 1999, initially involving over 58,434 boys in Ontario, was published in the Lancet medical journal:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=9851381
http://www.cirp.org/library/disease/UTI/to2/
The relative risk of hospital admission for UTI in the first year of life was 3.7, meaning an intact boy was 3.7 times more likely to be hospitalised for a UTI than his circumcised counterpart. This was highly statistically significant and sounds meaningful until you consider the absolute rarity of UTI’s.
A normal intact boy has a 99.298% chance of getting through his first year of life without a UTI, whereas a circumcised boy increases his chances to 99.812% .
Another way of stating this is that 195 circumcisions would be needed to prevent one UTI hospitalization.
Unfortunately, the risk of short-term complications of circumcision is 2 to 10 percent!
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=8242285
http://www.cirp.org/library/complications/williams-kapila/
Therefore, somewhere between 4 and 20 little boys would end up with circumcision complications (ranging from infection to death) to avoid having just ONE get a UTI and need to be hospitalized.
I realize that this doesn't mean much when it's your child with the UTI.
Of course, this is an extremely sensitive and personal issue and I hope every parent researches carefully and comes to an informed decision.
First of all BIG HUGS to both you and little C, I hope he is back to hisself soon.
I'm currently in externship for a surgical technician program and just YESTERDAY we did a circumcision on a twelve year old. The urologist who I worked with told me some very interesting things and he was all for them. He HATES to have to see children come in later to have them, he said that the recovery time is much longer (although C is still really young I think he was talking like older in years...) and that it's traumatic as they get older. The poor boy we did yesterday had needed to have this surgery for about a year honestly but for some reason his parents never had it done, poor thing. The doctor tried his best but he had so much scar tissue that he will be "diffent" than other boys he sees. Such a shame...
Anyways, he talked some more but I just wanted to add that a urologist was all for them and thinks personally in his experience that the benefits (cleanliness being #1) far outweighs the risks of the surgery.
My son was circumsized at the age of almost 3, we didn't adopt him until he was 2 1/2 so it really wasn't our choice not to have it done sooner. He had a few days of pain and then he was fine. However, initially he was NOT impressed. When we took his pull up off for the first time after he came out of the anesthesia (sp?) he looked down and said What is this? in a very disgusted voice. He then proceeded to tell me for days that his penis was gone. I had to explain that it wasn't gone but just looked a little different now. I am very happy that he wasn't any older than almost 3...I think it could be very traumatizing in an older child/man.
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