BENEFITS FOR INFANTS: Kidney Infections Local Problems- Phimosis, Balanoposthitis, and Hygiene and Ease of Cleanliness

Uncircumcised boys are about 10 times as likely to get serious kidney infections in the first year of life as are circumcised infants. These kidney infections are most dangerous in the first 3 months, during which time they often lead to hospitalization and can result in overwhelming blood infection and other serious infections. Kidney scarring has been shown to occur later. There is concern that future kidney failure and high blood pressure may follow infantile UTIs. Abnormal kidney function and hormonal secretion can occur with infant UTIs. Fecal contamination of the moist inner foreskin layer with bacterial attachment leads to these kidney infections.

Local foreskin infections (balanoposthitis) can occur at any age in uncircumcised males, but are most common at age 2-5 years, an age when the foreskin has often not yet completely separated, cannot be fully retracted, and genital cleanliness is more difficult to accomplish. In addition between 0.5% and 1% of boys will never be able to retract their foreskin due to a pinpoint opening at the end (phimosis) and will have to be circumcised at a later date when the procedure is more complex and difficult, and about 10 times as expensive. Newborn circumcision leads to improved genital hygiene throughout life, but most importantly in infancy, early childhood and old age when personal hygiene may be inadequate. Uncircumcised males are more likely to develop a wide variety of skin disorders including psoriasis, lichen planus, and seborrheic eczema.