The prepuce: a mistake of nature?

Winberg, JanDepartment of Paediatrics, Karolinska Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden (author)

The prepuce : a mistake of nature?

Originally published as Volume 1, Issue 8638, 1989. Available online 22 September 2003.
Retrospective studies suggest that circumcision of newborn boys will reduce the frequency of male early infantile urinary tract infection (UTI) by about 90%. If they are correct, this will be the first known instance of a common potentially lethal disease being preventable by extirpation of a piece of normal tissue. To reconcile the phenomenon with existing views of evolution and biology, it is suggested that the effects of one unphysiological intervention are counterbalancing those of another--ie, colonisation of the baby's gastrointestinal tract and genitals in maternity units by Escherichia coli strains of non-maternal origin, to which the baby has no passive immunity. As an alternative to circumcision to prevent early infantile male UTI, more natural colonisation could be promoted by strict rooming-in of mother and baby or by active colonisation of the baby with his mother's anaerobic gut flora.

Gothefors, Leif,1940-Umeå universitet,Pediatrik(Swepub:umu)lego0001 (author)
Bollgren, IngelaDepartment of Paediatrics, Sachs's Children's Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden (author)
Herthelius, MariaDepartment of Paediatrics, Karolinska Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden (author)
Tullus, KjellDepartment of Paediatrics, Danderyds Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden (author)
Department of Paediatrics, Karolinska Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SwedenPediatrik (creator_code:org_t)

By the author/editor: Winberg, Jan; Gothefors, Leif, ...; Bollgren, Ingela; Herthelius, Mari ...; Tullus, Kjell

About the subject

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES: MEDICAL AND HEAL ...; and Clinical Medicin ...; and Pediatrics

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