Yet another case of inaccurate advice...suggestions?

[ursaminor]

Hello everyone,

This has been bothering me for a while...

My DS was a HB but 9 hours after birth we had to transport to the hosp. and ended being made to stay there for 7 days.
Anyhow, during the duration of our stay DH was asked at least 2 times by a resident if we wanted to circ our child (both times he was asked I was not in the room, interesting huh?). Of course DH refused and gave the resident a lecture, to which she told him we "have to keep his penis very clean (etc.)" I guess he told her she didnt know what she was talking about.
Now, because I wasnt in the room I couldnt ask what she meant by "keep him very clean". Surely she couldnt he meant retraction (the nurse when we were in the NICU assured us that she nor any other nurse in that ward would or have ever retracted a foreskin. Still we watched our son like a hawk). So I hopped onto the hosp. web site to check and see watch they claimed was proper intact care.
I am pretty upset by their recommendations. they recommend a parent should:
"When the foreskin is easy to retract, clean under it regularly. To clean under the foreskin, gently push it as far as possible toward the body. Carefully wash the entire area with soap and water. When the area is cleaned and rinsed, replace the foreskin over the head of the penis." They also assume a boy will be retractable by age 3. please check out the link to read their whole statement.
http://health.med.umich.edu/healthco...D=hw142263spec

I am considering writing a letter. any suggestions?

-a

[BlessedMommy2006]

Wow. Maybe put something like the AAP statement in your letter?

[BlessedMommy2006]

I just went and read the article and it does have some flaws in it, but not as bad as I initially assumed.

And there's a contradiction in the article, they say that your son's chance of a UTI in the first year of life is higher if intact and say that proper hygiene can lower that, and then not too far down the page, say not to retract at that age.

Weird. They seem like they're trying to make the intact penis sound as difficult to care for as possible.

And only the CHILD should be retracting himself. The parent shouldn't be doing it.

[robertandenith]

this is SICKENING! : Make sure to write to DOC also, I will do it as well. Thanks for bringing this to our attention!

[2boyzmama]

You know, I don't think this page is that bad! Yes, it inaccurately says that by age 3 most boys are retractible, but it also says never to force it. And if you click through the related pages, it gives a fairly good view of both sides of the issue...why some people might consider circumcision, and why some people choose not to. It also repeatedly says that it's not recommended by any experts or professionals.

I don't know...I think it's pretty balanced, much more so than I thought it would be.

The UTI rates it gives are wrong we all know, but those are the numbers that almost all drs would give any parent because they're just quoting research, not looking at how the research was conducted or if there might be any flaws.

Not a bad page I think. Not pro-circ or anti-circ, fairly factual.

[ursaminor]

Thats the thing is I dont think its very factual. First they say not to retract hen they say to retract as far as it will go... bottom line it should be the boy retracting himself not another person - that's when the damage occurs. I have surely seen worse advice but I feel like a leading medical school should have even better info then this. There seems to be the air that you really have maintain the intact baby penis or problems can occur. I am going to bring it up with DOC as well.