title: Parental circumcision preferences and early outcome of plastibell circumcision in a Nigerian tertiary hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Parents are central in decisions and choices concerning circumcision of their male children and plastibell circumcision is a widely practiced technique. This study determined parental preferences for male neonatal and infant circumcisions and evaluate the early outcomes of plastibell circumcisions in a tertiary centre.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a prospective study on consecutive male neonates and infants who were brought for circumcisions at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi, South-East Nigeria and their respective parents between January 2012 and December 2012. Data on demography, parental choices and early outcome of plastibell circumcision were obtained and analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 337 requests for circumcisions were made for boys with age range of 2-140 days. Culture and religion were the most common reasons for circumcision requests in 200 (59.3%) and 122 (36.2%), respectively, other reasons were medical, cosmesis, to reduce promiscuity and just to follow the norm. Most parents, 249 (73.9%) preferred the procedure to be performed on the 8 th day and 88.7% would like the doctors to perform the procedure while 84.6% preferred the plastibell method. Among those who had circumcision, 114 complied with follow-up schedules and there were complications in 22 (19.3%) patients. Parents assessed the early outcome as excellent, very good, good and poor in 30.7%, 45.6%, 18.4% and 5.3% of the patients, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parents request for male circumcision in our environment is largely for cultural and religious reasons; and prefer the procedure to be performed by a physician. Plastibell method is well known and preferred and its outcome is acceptable by most parents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Paediatric Surgery Unit, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Okechukwu Hyginus
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Ekwunife
authors.forename: Jideofor Okechukwu
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Ugwu
authors.forename: Chinedu C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Okoli
authors.forename: Victor Ifeanyichukwu
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Modekwe
authors.forename: Andrew N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Osuigwe
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D002944:Circumcision, Male / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria; D010290:Parents; D011446:Prospective Studies; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers