Taking Care Of A Circumcision: What You Should Know

2 March 2021

Jaime Allen

When your baby gets circumcised, it can be quite scary. Your tiny infant is having a surgical procedure done at a very young age, usually before you even take them home after they are born. If your child has had a circumcision, this surgical wound needs to be properly cared for in order to prevent it from getting infected, or the wound not healing properly, which can only cause more pain for your tiny infant. In order to care for it properly, there are a few things you need to know. 

Clean Your Baby Thoroughly

Your baby is going to be wearing a diaper and relieving himself in this same area where he was circumcised, which means this area is much more likely to get infected when not cleaned properly. Be sure you are cleaning and wiping your baby properly after he has gone to the bathroom in his diaper, and are changing his diaper often in order to prevent moisture from soaking into the skin and into this wound. Use baby wipes and be sure to clean the area around the wound gently, but thoroughly. You will also need to gently clean between the skin folds.

Keep The Surgical Gauze On

For a day or two after the surgery, you are going to need to keep the surgical gauze on your baby in order to prevent moisture from getting to the wound. Be sure to change this gauze often and keep the area clean as well. You may be sent home with some gauze pads or gauze wrap. Be sure to use this and get more if needed. 

Apply The Antibiotic Ointment

You should also have been given an antibiotic ointment for your baby's surgical wound. Be sure you are applying this ointment to the wound and then covering it with the gauze as instructed. The ointment will help aid with healing, while also keeping moisture away from the wound. Apply this ointment liberally around the penis to keep it protected as much as possible.

Leave The Wound Open

After a few days, you can discuss leaving the wound open to air out some in order to heal. It should only be covered for a few days, but after that time, you need to keep it open so air can get to it and heal fully. Discuss when to leave the gauze off of the wound with your baby's pediatrician.

If your child has been circumcised, it's very important to keep this area clean and dry in order for it to heal properly. Be sure you clean your baby properly and apply gauze and ointment as instructed. Talk to your pediatrician about what other information you should know, and report any issues, such as the surgical site not healing properly to the pediatrician. Contact a pediatric care clinic for more information. 

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