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Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs), Kidney Infections:
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Uncircumcised boys are about 10 times as likely to get serious
kidney infections in the first year of life as are circumcised
infants; uncircumcised older boys and men are more likely to
get UTIs as well. 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.
 
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Local Problems- Phimosis, Balanoposthitis, and Genital
Hygiene:
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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. Phimosis becomes most troublesome beginning
with puberty; painful erections occur since the foreskin can't
retract over the glans. An incomplete form of phimosis, called
paraphimosis, occurs when the foreskin is tight but can be retracted
over the glans. The glans may then become trapped resulting
in severe pain and swelling. 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.
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