My 5 1/2 month old sons foreskin was forcefully retracted at a well baby visit this past Friday. I was too shocked at the time to say anything and to stick up for him!?!? 
My biggest concern now is will he be okay? Will it cause him long term problems? What can I do to help him heal quickly?
We cloth diaper and breastfeed and I am changing him often and doing warm baths often during the day so that he can urinate without it burning the open areas.
If your still reading, I have copied the text of the letter that I am sending to the nurse practicioner and her overseeing doctor. I would love any feedback.
Thanks!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am writing to inform you of a problem that I encountered during an appointment with your Nurse Practitioner, **********, F.N.P.-C.
We originally were impressed with **********’s position on extended breastfeeding. After our appointment on Friday, March 26, 2004 however, I feel shocked and violated. No one in my family will be returning to her for care.
I have sent you a copy of the letter to ******** and the attachments that were sent to her.
I hope that this matter will not damage or end my family’s care with you. However, if you feel that, given the circumstances, you will no longer be able to provide care for my family, I will understand. In either case, I would appreciate any recommendations that you might have regarding future care.
Thank you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am writing in regards to my son’s 4-month well baby visit, Friday March 26, 2004 at 10:30am. During this well baby visit, you insisted that my son’s foreskin must be forcibly retracted due to “adhesions” and proceeded to perform this procedure without my oral or written consent. As well, this obviously painful procedure was completed without pain medication of any type.
Curtis now has an iatrogenic and bleeding wound, which causes him to scream in pain when he voids. He is now at risk, per the American Academy of Pediatrics, of infection, true adhesions, and phimosis. This has not only caused physical and emotional pain for my son, but has resulted in emotional pain for me, and added stress for our entire family.
I am demanding a written apology. I ask that you desist in the forcible retraction of previously unretracted and normal foreskins. I am also demanding to know what will be done to ensure that all of the practitioners at ********** know of the proper care for uncircumcised males, so that other helpless little boys do not have to endure the pain that Curtis has.
Please note that if any of the aforementioned problems occur, I will hold you completely accountable.
I have enclosed numerous articles for you to read over, to educate yourself and others on proper care of the uncircumcised penis. I have also sent a full copy of this letter and the attachments to ********, M.D. and to ******** Clinic.
I am deeply disappointed that I, as a parent, cannot trust in what my health care provider is doing and saying. I would expect my health care provider to be more educated then I.
Sincerely,
Lisa Rasmusson
Attachments:
From the National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers:
Answers to Your Questions About Your Young Son’s Intact Penis
Answers to Your Questions About Premature (Forcible) Retraction of Your Young Son’s Foreskin
Answers to Your Questions About the Bioethics of Infant Circumcision
From the American Academy of Pediatrics:
Newborns: Care of the Uncircumcised Penis
My biggest concern now is will he be okay? Will it cause him long term problems? What can I do to help him heal quickly?
We cloth diaper and breastfeed and I am changing him often and doing warm baths often during the day so that he can urinate without it burning the open areas.
If your still reading, I have copied the text of the letter that I am sending to the nurse practicioner and her overseeing doctor. I would love any feedback.
Thanks!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am writing to inform you of a problem that I encountered during an appointment with your Nurse Practitioner, **********, F.N.P.-C.
We originally were impressed with **********’s position on extended breastfeeding. After our appointment on Friday, March 26, 2004 however, I feel shocked and violated. No one in my family will be returning to her for care.
I have sent you a copy of the letter to ******** and the attachments that were sent to her.
I hope that this matter will not damage or end my family’s care with you. However, if you feel that, given the circumstances, you will no longer be able to provide care for my family, I will understand. In either case, I would appreciate any recommendations that you might have regarding future care.
Thank you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am writing in regards to my son’s 4-month well baby visit, Friday March 26, 2004 at 10:30am. During this well baby visit, you insisted that my son’s foreskin must be forcibly retracted due to “adhesions” and proceeded to perform this procedure without my oral or written consent. As well, this obviously painful procedure was completed without pain medication of any type.
Curtis now has an iatrogenic and bleeding wound, which causes him to scream in pain when he voids. He is now at risk, per the American Academy of Pediatrics, of infection, true adhesions, and phimosis. This has not only caused physical and emotional pain for my son, but has resulted in emotional pain for me, and added stress for our entire family.
I am demanding a written apology. I ask that you desist in the forcible retraction of previously unretracted and normal foreskins. I am also demanding to know what will be done to ensure that all of the practitioners at ********** know of the proper care for uncircumcised males, so that other helpless little boys do not have to endure the pain that Curtis has.
Please note that if any of the aforementioned problems occur, I will hold you completely accountable.
I have enclosed numerous articles for you to read over, to educate yourself and others on proper care of the uncircumcised penis. I have also sent a full copy of this letter and the attachments to ********, M.D. and to ******** Clinic.
I am deeply disappointed that I, as a parent, cannot trust in what my health care provider is doing and saying. I would expect my health care provider to be more educated then I.
Sincerely,
Lisa Rasmusson
Attachments:
From the National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers:
Answers to Your Questions About Your Young Son’s Intact Penis
Answers to Your Questions About Premature (Forcible) Retraction of Your Young Son’s Foreskin
Answers to Your Questions About the Bioethics of Infant Circumcision
From the American Academy of Pediatrics:
Newborns: Care of the Uncircumcised Penis
and when he stated that he would retract the foreskin to check the damage, I replied no thank you. No one will be retracting my son EVER AGAIN, besides himself! and that I would let him know if we had any further problems or I noticed any infection.
