The effect of an educational intervention on the rate of neonatal circumcision

Despite the absence of verifiable indications routine circumcision of the male neonate remains 1 of the most common surgical procedures in the US. A sample of obstetric clinic patients in a large urban hospital was tested to determine whether spoken educational intervention would reduce the rate of circumcision. The study population consisted of 53 prenatal clinic patients at the Johns Hopkins Hospital; 29 postpartum patients who signed informed consent forms to participate in the study were interviewed during the period January to March 1980. 25 of the prenatal patients subsequently delivered male infants. 2 experimental conditions were tested: 1) prenatal intervention; and 2) postpartum (24 to 48 hours after delivery) intervention. The educational intervention consisted of the interviewers questioning each subject regarding her knowledge about circumcision. Both prenatal and postpartum subjects were asked the following questions regarding circumcision: 1) Do you know what a circumcision is? 2) Do you know what is removed in a circumcision? 3) In a circumcision do you think there is any cutting? 4) Do you think that the baby is given a pain killer or put to sleep during the operation? Each patient was also questioned as to whether she had any preference regarding circumcision of her infant son. The rate of circumcision among infants whose mothers received the educational intervention was significantly lower than among infants whose mothers were controls. Nevertheless the majority of the study mothers requested circumcision for their sons despite the educational intervention suggesting the presence of strong social motives. The fathers circumcision status appeared to be a key factor in the mothers decision to circumcise her son.