Circumcision-does your child need it?

The advice I know about this subject is based upon my son,J who was circumcised March 2007.

When J was a baby he had very tight foreskin.Every time the health visistor came on visits I always mentioned it to her and I was told to persevere until he was

two.When he did turn two I took him to the doctors and was told to wait until he was four!!

When I potty trained J the direction that he peed was never straight,it always went all over the place.It was when he was five that he started to complain that it was hurting him.So, I went to the doctors again and was told to pull the skin back for him when he was in the bath,apparently its supposed to help the skin move back-rubbish.All it did for J was to put him in more pain.I was back and forth to the doctors for two years.The medical profession seems to do circumcision as a last resort.I was told that if when he had a wee,and his bits and bobs(used this expression hoping it doesn't get reported)!if they were to 'balloon' then they would have done it much sooner.Anyway after all of the comings and goings to the docs,he got booked in for the operation last March.

I had to take him a week before his op to be weighed and measured for the anaesthetic.On the day of the operation he had to be there for 9 in the morning and he was home for 4 in the afternoon.They gave him cream and painkillers and was told he couldn't bathe for a week. The following day he looked a mess.He had pus and very bad bruising and was bleeding.He couldn't walk because he was in so much pain and had to be carried to the car.We took him to the emergency doctor(it was a Sunday),who said it was normal and he was fine,to carry on with the painkillers etc.

The following day he was worse and had a temperature.This time we took him to the hospital.They took him straight up onto the childrens ward to examine him there.The doctors took swabs and waited for the results for 2 hours.I was told that he had developed an infection.They gave him a injection of antibiotics and some oral antibiotics to take home,with more painkillers.

J slept in our bedroom with us for a week on a put up bed because he was so poorly-yet they wouldn't keep him in the hospital.The infection did clear up after about a week and he made a full recovery.

I have since been told that circumcision should be performed as early as possible because it is much easier for the child to get over.The earliest symptoms that J showed was as a baby. I believe if it had been done earlier he would have suffered much less.

If you do think your childs foreskin is tight don't wait,take him to the doctors and be persistent.Also look for his 'bits' ballooning when he wees.If it needs to be done I think the sooner the better,the paedetrician told me it's best around the age of four.