Fairfield-Echo.com

(HealthScoutNews) -- The decision to have newborn boys circumcised is usually based on religious or personal beliefs, including the perceived medical benefits.

According to Stanford University Medical Center, research by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) found potential health advantages of newborn circumcision, but not enough to recommend it as a routine procedure.

The AAP findings include:

• Problems with the penis such as irritation can occur with or without circumcision.
• There is no difference in hygiene, as long as proper care is followed.
• There may be differences in sexual sensation or practices in adult men.
• There is an increased risk of urinary tract infection in uncircumcised males, especially in babies less than a year old. However, the risk for urinary tract infection in all boys is less than one percent.
• Newborn circumcision does provide some protection from cancer of the penis. However, the overall the risk of penis cancer is very low in the United States.