Frequently Asked Questions

Circumcision in boys may be carried out for:

• medical reasons – for example, as a treatment of last resort for conditions such as a tight foreskin (phimosis) or recurrent infection of the foreskin and head of the penis (balanitis)
• religious or cultural reasons – it’s a common practice in Jewish and Islamic communities, and it’s also practised by many African communities; most cultural circumcisions are carried out in young boys

The information on this page focuses on circumcision in boys for medical reasons.

Read more about circumcision in adult men for medical reasons.

It’s normal for a baby boy’s foreskin not to pull back (retract) for the first few years of life.

Around the age of 3 – or later, in some cases – the foreskin should start to separate naturally from the head of the penis (glans). Full separation occurs in most boys by the age of 5 years.

For some boys, the foreskin can take longer to separate, but this does not mean there’s a problem and it will usually just detach at a later stage.

As the foreskin starts to separate from the head of the penis, you may see the foreskin “ballooning out” when your son passes urine. This can occasionally lead to infection (balanitis), but this ballooning usually settles down with time.

Never try to force your son’s foreskin back, as it may be painful and damage the foreskin.

The risks associated with circumcisions when carried out by qualified and experienced professionals are small.

The main risk is bleeding, both during and after the operation. The practitioner will seal off any bleeding during the procedure, and the dressing applied afterward will absorb any further bleeding.

However, seek medical advice if your child’s penis continues to bleed after they return home.

Other possible complications include pain, infection of the wound, and scarring.

After circumcision, the baby is expected to cry for a while and appear to be restless. Baby needs to be cuddled and rocked gently, demand feeds should be encouraged

Parental responsibility: Check the site every hour for the first two hours, then three hourly for the first twenty-four hours; if you notice any bleeding, wrap the area with gauze and apply pressure for three minutes.

What to do

• Kindly apply oil to the site after each diaper change.
• After twenty for hours, continue to bath and care for your baby as usual 

Things to avoid

• Do not remove the dressing 
• Do not treat the site like a wound
• Do not lie the baby on his tummy

What to expect

• The dressing might fall off  within a few minutes after circumcision
• The wound heals within seven days

NOTE: Kindly contact us or our team member at your disposal at any time if you need further assistance or clarification. Contact details are available here.

No. We do not recommend this. Painkillers are not licensed for babies under 2 months of age

Both can be arranged, depending on your location and availability. 

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