Circumcision and the Dangers of Misinformation

In 2013 a mother in the UK picked up her then three month old son from her parents' house to find that her son had been circumcised against her knowledge and consent. The distraught mother stated to BBC that her son has had constant pain in his genitals ever since. 

"When he first started talking he did say a lot that it hurt," the mother told BBC.

To have her child circumcised without her consent by someone who obviously didn't know what they were doing is awful. Not being able to cope and care for the situation caused even more distress for the mother and the child. 

The UK mother went on to tell BBC, "If anything good can come of what's happened to my son it's raising a little bit more awareness to the suffering that comes, and giving people that are thinking of circumcising their children a bit of understanding about what they are doing."

For her to say that her child's suffering can raise awareness of the long lasting effects of circumcision is a little misleading. IF DONE PROPERLY circumcision is perfectly safe and, for most, a spiritual obligation. 

In Judaism and Islam, it is a sacred right to circumcise baby male members of the Tribe. Rabbi Aron Moss of Sydney Australia stated in an article for Chabad.org, "The bris {circumcision} is a physical symbol of the relationship between G‑d and the Jewish people. It is a constant reminder of what the Jewish mission entails."

Islam has a similar practice of circumcision for both male and female children. Khitan or khitna is preformed on the seventh day of the child's life. It is widely practiced with male children, but female circumcision in Islam is slowly disappearing. 

In both cases, the bris and the khitan are sacred religious practices no different than a Jewish man wearing a yamaka (traditional male head covering) or a muslim woman wearing a hijab (female head covering). Some may argue that these customs are not harming the body, but for those who practicing members of these communities don't see the ritual as any different than any other custom. 

The Anti-circumcision movement argue that there are no health benefits to circumcising a child and that it will actually hinder the child when they reach adulthood. Despite doctors in the medical field ensuring again and again that there is no long term side effects to male circumcision, people still continue to press on, spreading misinformation and confusing those who are genuinely seeking information on one of the most important decision they'll make for their child. 

According to WebMD, there are no risks to circumcising a child beyond what you'd expect from any open wound: pain at the operation site, bleeding, risk of infection while the wound is open. 

Generally, the medical field state that the health benefits far outweigh the risks of getting the procedure done. Less risk of sexually transmitted diseases and penile cancer are just a few of the health benefits circumcision can offer. 

Similarly, the anti-vaxx movement also spreads misinformation that is causing confusion and is risking lives of children all around the world. Parents are being led to believe that vaccines that help children fight against illnesses that they are not equipped to fight off themselves will cause autism. Even though the doctor that had made these claims has since admitted that he made his study up all together and he has had his medical liscence taken away, the movement still pushes on, bullying and fear mongering parents into not giving vaccinations. 

As a result, children are dying from whooping cough, measles and mumps. It is an outrageous notion in 2017. 

But, the anti-vaxxers are a stern warning of the dangers misinformation can cause. For most who are considering circumcising their children, it is a religious right and privilege. With the medical field backing the procedure stating that there are no risks to circumcision if done properly, it is no one's business what you decide. The decision should be what's best for your family and beliefs. Nothing more. If it's not harming the child, then there is no risk. The decision is between you, your son and G-d.

Harmful Anti-Bactiria

We all do it. Take a child to the park, squeeze a blob of floral smelling hand gel into their little hands and kill the germs that are no doubt lurking on the chain of the swing. This happens when kids are taken to the play area in the mall, the grocery store, the school. It's okay. We all do it. You're protecting your child from all the nasty germs out there, right?

What if you were wrong?

The overuse of antibacterial soaps and hand gels could be causing more harm than good. 

About 75 percent of liquid antibacterial soaps and 30 percent of bars use a chemical called triclosan as an active ingredient. That is the same active ingredient in antibiotics.

 Originally antibacterial soaps were only used in hospitals. But, in the 1990's it was made available to the general public. Since then, studies have shown that antibacterial soaps and gels are helping children build immunities to antibiotics, can hinder the production of thyroid hormone that can result in infidelity, early puberty, obesity and cancer, and are even causing more children to have peanut allergies and hay fever. In fact, the FDA stated that antibacterial soaps don't actually clean better than regular soap and water.

According to the Smithsonian, "the product of decades of research, notes that the costs of antibacterial soaps likely outweigh the benefits, and forces manufacturers to prove otherwise."

In addition to the potential physical dangers of using antibacterial soaps, triclosan is also bad for the environment. The drug does not break down once it is rinsed from the hands. Remnants of it go down the drain and into the water ways. Once there, triclosan hinders algae development. 

To find out more about over use of antibiotics, click here.

So. What is a parent to do?

Don't panic. Most of the negative side effects can be reversed by not using them. Instead, there are a few easy alternatives that will still clean the hands of both children and adults just as well.

Good old, soap and warm water is the quickest and easiest way to ensure that hands are clean after coming in contact with a potentially contaminated area. Be sure that children are washing their hands for 20 seconds or more. Sing a song like the ABCs or "Itsy Bitsy Spider" to help the time pass. 

For the times that soap and water are not available, hand sanitizers like Purell that don't contain triclosan are safe to use. Squeeze a pea sized amount into the palm of the hand and rub it in thoroughly.

Remember, although some bacteria is bad, such as those that cause illness, there are some that our body needs to function. The "good bacteria" that lives in the stomach to help break down food for instants is only one of many ways our bodies use bacteria. If we kill off all bacteria, not only would our bodies not function properly, but we are aiding in creating new and more deadly bacteria that does not respond to even the strongest of our antibiotics. 

So, the next time you reach for your antibacterial soap or hand sanitizer, remember that "more" doesn't always mean "better."

Readying Your Child For Kindergarten

Kindergarten is a considerable and important milestone. Around this time of year, families are typically registering their children for class. Once they do, some parents are presented with the "Kindergarten Readiness Checklist."
This can seem quite daunting. Especially when most parents do not realize that their child is expected to be "ready" for kindergarten. The items listed are things most parent associate with what they expect their children to learn from their kindergarten classroom.
But, don't despair!
What most parent also fail to realize is that they can, and are most likely already in the practice of preparing children at home through every day activities. This can be from holding a pencil (or crayon, marker, whatever!) in the correct manner to empathizing and caring for their peers.

Schools break up their readiness checklists into seven parts:

• Social and emotional maturity 
• Physical abilities
• Language skills
• Cognitive abilities
• Literacy skills
• Math skills
• Knowledge of personal information

The language may seem startling, but these are things that children are doing already, and have most likely been doing them for a long time, without much effort from parents. Abilities such as following two and three step instructions, using toddler scissors, and recognizing shapes, colors and letters of the alphabet are things that most children have been doing on a daily basis by the time they are five-years-old. 

According to Scholastic.com, rather than drilling the ABCs into children heads, kindergarten teachers are looking for learning tendencies, not specific information. 

Kindergarten teachers told Scholastic, "There are equally - if not more - important readiness skills that set the stage for your child's learning. Raising an eager learner is the goal, and it can be achieved easily through play and day-to-day activities." 

Play'n'learn classes are settings where children and parents can learn what is considered to be kindergarten ready through play. In a play setting, stations are set up for children ages 0-5-years-old that are geared to help ready children for school. It is also a place where parents can pick up on the things that they can do at home to help the process along.

Asking a child what color their building block is, helping them hold the crayon the correct way at the craft table, and learning how to share with their peers are only a few things that can be done at home to reinforce what teachers may be looking for once that child enters school. 

Following a set routine, and completing simple tasks that are set at home are also ways that a child will be prepared for kindergarten. Being able to take of their socks off  and put them in the dirty clothes bin is evidence that that child can follow two and three step instructions. 

Community centers and local libraries are the most common places that hold Play'n'learn classes. In addition, Story Times, Circle Times, and Art classes typically available at the local library are excellent environments for children of all ages to get ready for school. Check the local library website calendar to see what's offered. 

No matter how scary or worrying getting a child "kindergarten ready," is, know that they are already well on their way by watching and listening to their parents, caregivers and peers. Through every day activity children can become an eager learner who is excited for the endless amount of discovery that awaits them.