Book: The Circumcision Decision

While some parents have religious guidelines they choose to follow regarding circumcision, others will be left to make their own decisions. In the United States, there's no definitive guideline to follow and parents potentially have a lot to consider. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the recent publication, The Circumcision Decision, are good places to start your research before you make your own decision.

The American Academy of Pediatrics announced in August, 2012, that the decision should be left to the parents: "After a comprehensive review of the scientific evidence, the American Academy of Pediatrics found the health benefits of newborn male circumcision outweigh the risks, but the benefits are not great enough to recommend universal newborn circumcision. The AAP policy statement published Monday, August 27, says the final decision should still be left to parents to make in the context of their religious, ethical and cultural beliefs." Click through their site for more resources.

In The Circumcision Decision: An Unbiased Guide for Parents by Susan Terkel and Lorna Greenberg, you'll find answers to your questions about everything from foreskin's role to pain relief to the possible ethical and moral concerns of circumcising your infant or leaving him intact. To prepare for possibly having a boy, I found it useful to read through this book and discuss sections with my husband.

Click through to the book's website to learn more.

Thank you to Susan Terkel for the review copy!