New Scientific Study from the journal PAIN on circumcision

[JenniferOhayon]

Originally Posted by laralou

I have to issue you an alert for your post in CAC. Discussing religious circumcision is against the rules of the forum. We do allow respectful discussion of religious circ in the Religious Studies subforum of Spirituality.

If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints, feel free to PM me, amarasmom, or Cynthia Mosher.

Thanks!

Dear Laralou,

Thanks for the warning. It was the first, AND LAST time I post anything on your site. I did not post this message with "religous circumcision" as a subject. I did describe my son's pathophysiological manifestation of post-circumcision pain, as well as the abstract from a peer-reviewed article in the renouned scientific journal PAIN, which I will again post below, as well as the authors of the study:

Pain. 2004 Feb;107(3):242-55.


Comprehensive description of newborn distress behavior in response to acute pain (newborn male circumcision).

Warnock F, Sandrin D.

Center for Community Child Health Research, BC Research Institute for Children's and Women's Health, 4480 Oak Street, L408, V6H 3V4, Vancouver, BC, Canada. [e-mail]

One of the most difficult challenges still facing researchers and clinicians is assessing pain in the newborn. Behaviors provide one of the most promising avenues for deepening our fundamental understanding of complex phenomenon like newborn pain, and are key to developing descriptive-level knowledge to further newborn pain assessment efforts. In this ethologically based research, we report on the duration and frequency of neonatal distress behavior to seven distinct noxious and non-noxious but distress-provoking events including baseline (diaper change, post-diaper change, application of arm and leg restraints, post-application of arm and leg restraints, circumcision, post-circumcision) associated with newborn surgical pain. Approximately 67 min of videotaped data, involving four neonates who had undergone newborn male circumcision, were coded at 1-s intervals (4010 s in total). A reliably established coding scheme was used to code behaviors as they were observed on videotape for the duration of the seven designated events. This led to the identification of (1) 40 distress behaviors as they occurred along the continuum of distress, (2) eight distress behaviors specific to surgery, (3) 11 classes of behaviors occurring within the five sub-phases of circumcision, and (4) a description of 25 distinct post-distress behaviors. Findings support the ability to distinguish distress behaviors specific to pain and the ability to detect prolonged distress as well as individual differences in distress-related pain expression. Findings also justify ongoing use of ethological approaches to further newborn pain assessment and to investigate poorly understood topics such as infant self-regulation within the context of pain (pain recovery).

You're probably not aware of this, but everyday that passes after birth, a circumcision becomes more painfull. I only said, a Jewish baby is circumcised at day 8, significantly later than a non-Jewish circumcision. My baby because of his NICU stay, was circumcised at day 11. Do you get it, that these babies must have additional prophalactsis to prevent pain? You obviously don't get it. Onlysomeone who actually had not read my post would say it belonged in a "spirituality" forum, regardless of your "feelings" about my post.

Jennifer Ohayon, PhD

[momto3boys]

You're probably not aware of this, but everyday that passes after birth, a circumcision becomes more painfull. I only said, a Jewish baby is circumcised at day 8, significantly later than a non-Jewish circumcision. My baby because of his NICU stay, was circumcised at day 11. Do you get it, that these babies must have additional prophalactsis to prevent pain? You obviously don't get it. Onlysomeone who actually had not read my post would say it belonged in a "spirituality" forum, regardless of your "feelings" about my post.

Jennifer Ohayon, PhD[/QUOTE]

Actually a newborn feels as much if not more than an older child or person. It also depends on whether or not the labor and birth were natural and drug free or laden with narcotics and epidurals. A drugged baby's response will be less than an unmedicated baby. And obviously a child who recieves anesthetic's response should be less than a child who recieved nothing to dull the pain.

I have actually heard conflicting reports of mohel circ's vs hospital circ's. Many believe that a mohelim is faster than a hospital circ and less traumatic vs the hospital. I don't believe either is not traumatic but one may be faster than the other depending on the method.

While I will agree that babies need much better anesthetic... there is one way to completely eliminate the pain. Don't do it in the first place.

It seems you're somewhat surprised at the response of your son. I am curious as to why this is? Circ is extremely painful. It could be the most pain any man will ever feel in their life....and at a week old no less. I too was surprised when my 1st son was circ'd. I was shocked at the brutality of it all. I was told it was necessary and pain free. Clearly even with a DPNB it was brutal and excrutiating for my son.

Thanks for posting the study.

[Mamm2]

Thanks for posting the study. I am sorry for what you went thru.

[mattemma04]

I had read your previous post.It is unfortunate what your son went through.It does not need to be done at all.Fact is cutting into anyone's genitals is painful at any time. Consider advocating for a stop to this *tradition* instead of just for pain relief.Numbing the child really doesn't make it ok.We really don't need to be doing this to our kids for any reason. Take care!