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Topical Creams for Circumcision Pain Relief

The American Academy of Pediatrics, or AAP, estimates that 1.2 million newborn males are circumcised in the United States each year. Circumcision is an elective option that parents make for their child because of religious, cultural, social or hygienic reasons. According to the Circumcision Resource Center, before 1980 anesthesia was not used because infant pain was denied by the medical community. In recent years the AAP has determined that pain relief should be provided. A topical cream is one option for circumcision pain relief.

  1. Types

    • Lidocaine, prilocaine and tetracaine are types of creams used for pain relief. An eutectic mixture of local anesthetics, known as EMLA, is the most common type of topical cream used on infants during circumcision. This water-based cream contains a combination of lidocaine and prilocaine.

    Effectiveness

    • According to the AAP, EMLA does not alleviate all pain caused by the surgical procedure but has been proven to diminish it during some phases of the process. The cream must be applied at least an hour before the circumcision to provide the most benefit. Studies have shown that babies who were treated properly with EMLA during circumcision had smaller increases in heart rate and cried for a shorter period of time than babies who didn't receive EMLA, indicating the cream did provide some pain relief.

    Considerations

    • The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development concluded that pain-relieving creams such as EMLA should be considered when other methods of pain relief are not available

      Lidocaine creams including EMLA can cause skin color changes and irritation. In rare cases, topical analgesic creams have been linked to blue-baby syndrome. However, according to the NICHD, current data provides sufficient evidence that a single dose of EMLA is safe for application to the skin of newborns.

    Informed decision

    • It is ultimately the decision of the parent to decide whether to have their son circumcised, and what type of pain relief will be used during the circumcision. Know the benefits and risks of all options to make an educated decision about what is best for the baby.

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