Circumcision aftercare

At first, the circumcised area may be red, tender and raw, and have a small amount of blood. There may be a small amount of yellow drainage on the end of the penis from the normal healing process during the first week. Tenderness should be almost gone by the third day.

If a Plastibell ring was used, it should fall off in five to eight days. Do not pull off the ring as doing this may cause bleeding. It may take about seven to 10 days before the circumcised area is completely healed.

  • Change your baby's diaper as soon as it is dirty
  • The gauze dressing should be changed with each diaper change
  • To prevent infection, be sure to wash your hands before and after you change the gauze
  • If the circumcised area becomes soiled with stool, gently remove the gauze and clean the penis with warm water
  • If the gauze is stuck to the circumcised area, wet the gauze with warm water to loosen it and gently remove it
  • Clean the penis by gently blotting or squeezing warm water from a washcloth or cotton ball onto the penis. Do not use soap, lotion, powder or diaper wipes to clean the penis because they may cause stinging or irritation.
  • Reapply a new piece of gauze with pure petroleum jelly. This will stop the penis from sticking to the diaper and help the healing process.

Call your pediatrician if:

  • Redness or swelling around the circumcised area gets worse after three to five days
  • There is yellow pus around the penis lasting longer than a week
  • A Plastibell ring was used and doesn’t fall off within five to eight days

Seek medical care immediately if:

  • There is bleeding from the circumcision area that continues to soak through the gauze
  • Your child has not urinated within six to eight hours after the circumcision
  • Your child's urine comes out in dribbles or the urine stream is weak
  • Your child's penis is blue or black
  • Your child's temperature is over 100.4°F
  • Your child has an unpleasant-smelling, yellowish-green discharge from the penis

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