Key takeaways: After circumcision, keep the area clean and use petroleum jelly with each diaper change for about a week. A yellowish film during healing is normal. For uncircumcised boys, simply wash the outside; never pull back the foreskin. Bleeding that doesn’t stop, no urine, or spreading redness need a call.
Whether or not you choose circumcision for your son, caring for his penis in the newborn weeks is simple. Here’s what to know for both.
About the Circumcision Decision
Circumcision is a personal, family, cultural, and religious decision. The AAP’s 2012 policy concluded that the health benefits of newborn male circumcision (such as lower rates of urinary tract infections in infancy and some sexually transmitted infections later) outweigh the risks, but are not great enough to recommend it routinely for all newborn boys. If you choose it, the AAP recommends effective pain relief, such as a nerve block, for the procedure. Talk with your baby’s doctor about the current recommendation and what fits your family.
Caring for a Circumcised Penis
Your doctor will give you instructions based on the method used. In general:
- Petroleum jelly: apply a generous dab to the tip of the penis or the front of the diaper with each diaper change for about a week. This keeps the healing skin from sticking to the diaper.
- Gauze: if a gauze dressing was applied, follow your doctor’s instructions on when to remove or replace it.
- Plastibell method: if a plastic ring was used, don’t remove it. It usually falls off by itself in 5 to 8 days. Petroleum jelly may not be needed; follow your provider’s advice.
- Cleaning: gently rinse with warm water if stool gets on the area. Avoid wipes with alcohol or fragrance on the healing skin until it’s healed.
- Diapers: fasten loosely to reduce rubbing.
- Bathing: sponge baths are usually fine; ask your provider when to start tub baths.
What Normal Healing Looks Like
- The tip will look red and raw for the first few days.
- A soft, yellowish film or crust usually forms within a day or two. This is normal healing tissue, not pus. Don’t wipe it off.
- A few drops of blood on the diaper in the first day can be normal.
- Most circumcisions heal in 7 to 10 days.
From the author
From First Breath to First Birthday is my month-by-month guide to your baby’s first year, written as a NICU and postpartum nurse. My book covers everyday newborn care month by month, plus the warning signs that mean it’s time to call the doctor.
Caring for an Uncircumcised Penis
At birth, the foreskin is attached to the head of the penis (the glans). It separates gradually and naturally over years, often not fully until the teen years.
- Wash the outside only, with warm water during baths. Soap is optional.
- Never pull the foreskin back (retract it) to clean underneath. Forcing it can cause pain, bleeding, scarring, and adhesions.
- Small white or yellow lumps under the foreskin (smegma pearls) are normal skin cells and will work their way out.
- Once the foreskin naturally separates, your child can learn to gently retract it and rinse underneath as part of normal hygiene.
Common Concerns
- Ballooning: the foreskin may balloon when your baby pees. This is normal if urine comes out in a good stream.
- Penile adhesions: after circumcision, skin may stick to the glans as it heals. Petroleum jelly helps prevent this. Ask your doctor how to gently care for the area at checkups.
- “Buried” penis: in some babies, especially those with extra fat pads, the penis can look small or tucked in. Mention it at your checkup.
Call your baby’s doctor if:
- Bleeding is more than a few drops, or a spot larger than a quarter, or doesn’t stop with gentle pressure for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Your baby hasn’t peed within 12 hours after the circumcision, or the urine stream is weak or dribbling.
- Redness or swelling is increasing after the first 3 days, or spreads up the shaft.
- There’s pus, a foul smell, or cloudy drainage.
- A Plastibell ring hasn’t fallen off after 10 to 12 days, or has slipped down onto the shaft.
- Your baby has a fever (100.4°F or higher rectally), poor feeding, or unusual sleepiness.
- The foreskin of an uncircumcised boy gets stuck behind the head of the penis and causes swelling (an emergency called paraphimosis).
The Bottom Line
Circumcision care means petroleum jelly, loose diapers, and patience for about a week. Uncircumcised care means washing only the outside and never forcing the foreskin back. Watch for bleeding, trouble peeing, and signs of infection.
For more on everyday newborn care, see From First Breath to First Birthday.
Related Articles
- Umbilical Cord Stump Care: A Simple Guide to Healing
- Hypospadias: What Parents Should Know
- Cuts and Scrapes: Caring for Minor Injuries
Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force on Circumcision. Male circumcision. Pediatrics. 2012;130(3):e756-e785.
- American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force on Circumcision. Circumcision policy statement. Pediatrics. 2012;130(3):585-586.
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Caring for your son’s penis. HealthyChildren.org. https://www.healthychildren.org
- Altmann TR, Hill DL, eds. Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5. 7th ed. American Academy of Pediatrics; 2019.
- McGregor TB, Pike JG, Leonard MP. Pathologic and physiologic phimosis: approach to the phimotic foreskin. Can Fam Physician. 2007;53(3):445-448.
This article is for general education and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Always talk with your baby’s health care provider or your own provider about your specific situation. If you think your baby or you may have a medical emergency, call 911.
