A study published in The Journal of Urology, Volume 184, Issue 4, Supplement, Pages 1754-1757 (October 2010). doi:10.1016/j.juro.2010.03.077 The authors performed a needs assessment to evaluate obstetric-gynecology residency training in neonatal circumcision. They identified that many OB/GYN residents are not qualified to identify when circumcision should not be performed.

Most of the obstetric-gynecology residents planned to perform neonatal circumcision when in practice, 44% had no formal training in circumcision and most were comfortable performing routine neonatal circumcision. Overall, respondents were less comfortable evaluating whether the a newborn penis could undergo circumcision safely.

The article identified the lack of training: "When presented with 10 pictures of penises and asked to determine whether the neonate should undergo circumcision, 0% of respondents correctly identified all contraindications to neonatal circumcision with an average of 42% of contraindications identified correctly."

The authors concluded, "Although most residents feel competent to technically perform the procedure, they are not confident in their ability to judge the appropriate contraindications to neonatal circumcision. This needs assessment highlights the necessity for further curriculum development and formalized training in this domain."

Parents should be mindful of who is performing surgery on their infant son.
 

Related links:

• Dr. Pate's Blog: Are you REALLY SURE you want your OB/GYN to cut your little boy?