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Care of the Circumcised and Uncircumcised Male
For the circumcised male, it takes about one week for the circumcision site to heal.
- Discuss with your physician and nurses the care your baby needs.
- Initially, the penis tip will be bright red. As healing occurs, the redness fades and the penis is a normal skin color from tip to base.
Right after the circumcision has been performed, it is normal for your baby to be sleepy and not too interested in eating, sometimes for one or two feedings. Don't worry - he'll soon realize he's missed a meal or two and make up for lost time. If you go home the day of the circumcision, make sure your baby has a wet diaper within eight hours of the procedure. Sometimes, giving the sleepy baby some water will accomplish this.
For the ‘gomco’ circumcision, a small piece of gauze with petroleum jelly in the center is wrapped around the penis after circumcision. This should fall off after a few diaper changes. Do not reapply gauze, only apply a large amount of petroleum jelly for a few days to assist with healing and comfort. If gauze has not fallen off within 24-48 hours after circumcision, soak with warm water or a wash cloth and carefully remove and apply petroleum jelly for 2-4 more days. Do not forcibly remove gauze. This dressing helps prevent any irritation to the site and the diaper from sticking to the skin. The penis can be washed with warm water and should be kept clean of stool.
For a ‘plastibell’ circumcision, no dressings are required. The plastic ring will drop off five to eight days after circumcision. A dark brown or black ring of dead tissue encircling the plastic rim is normal and will fall off with the plastic ring. The result is a clean excision. Notify your doctor immediately if you notice any unusual swelling, active bleeding (usually appearing as a spot of blood larger than a quarter on the diaper) or foul odor, or if the plastic ring has not fallen off within eight days, or if the ring has slipped onto the shaft of the penis.
For the uncircumcised male, it's normal to have a tight foreskin that does not retract over the head of the penis. External washing is all that's needed. Forcing the foreskin back can cause pain, bleeding and adhesions. As the baby grows and develops the foreskin will naturally loosen. Your pediatrician will instruct you later on the daily care required. Normally, by the time he starts school, the foreskin can be easily retracted.