Circumcision Choices
Will a Circumcision Hurt?
In a word: Yes. But the good news is, newborns will forget the pain almost immediately.
“The Central Nervous System is so immature prior to two weeks that infants basically have no memory,” says Dr. Joao Pipi Salle, Chief Pediatric Urologist at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto, ON. Yes, the circumcision will hurt, but once it’s over, it’s over. There will be no memory of the pain.
Once babies reach two weeks of age they become much more aware and experience more discomfort. “There is technically no difference between performing a circumcision on a six-month-old and a nine-year-old,” says Dr. Pipi Salle. Even a one-month-old will experience great pain and trauma during a circumcision. Because of the pain involved in circumcising babies over the age of two weeks, circumcision after this time requires a general anesthetic. Most doctors don’t like to perform this type of circumcision on any child below the age of five. “When it comes to circumcision, you should do it really early or wait,” says Dr. Pipi Salle.
Meet our experts:
Dr. Joao Pipi Salle is the Chief Pediatric Urologist at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto, ON. Dr. Rui Martins performs circumcisions his private practice in Toronto, as well as Women’s
