Is Ritual Circumcision A Risk Factor For Neonatal Urinary Tract Infections?

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Main Category: Urology / Nephrology
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 17 Jan 2009 - 4:00 PST

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UroToday.com - In a recent journal article, Dr. Dario Prais et al. evaluated the burden of neonatal UTI (Urinary Tract Infection) in Israel and its relationship to circumcision. The group first reviewed medical records of neonates (T2 months old) hospitalized with UTI. The second part of the study consisted of a telephone survey to assess timing and details concerning the circumcision. The study group consisted of male infants, aged 8-30 days, hospitalized with UTI and a control group consisting of healthy neonates.

162 neonates (108 males, 54 females) were hospitalized with UTI. Mean age at admission was significantly lower in males (27.5 vs. 37.7 days, p=0.0002). The incidence of UTI in males peaked at 2-4 weeks of age. In females, the incidence tended to rise with age.

Accordingly, male predominance disappeared at 7 weeks and the male-to-female ratio reversed. In the second part of the study, 111 males (T1 month old) were included: 48 post-UTI and 63 as a control group. While evaluating the impact of circumcision technique, they found that UTI occurred in 6 of the 24 (25%) infants circumcised by a physician and in 42 of the 87 (48%) infants circumcised by a religious authority.

The group found that the incidence of UTI in males peaked during the early post-circumcision period, as opposed to the age-related rise in females. Interestingly, they also found that UTI seems to occur more frequently after traditional circumcision than after physician performed circumcision.

Prais D, Shoov-Furman R, Amir J
Arch Dis Child. 2008 Oct 6. Epub ahead of print.
doi:10.1136/adc.2008.144063

Written by UroToday.com Medical Editor Pasquale Casale, MD

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