Abstract
Most parents are not properly counselled about neonatal circumcision. We hypothesized that counselling using videotape presentations might be effective in reducing the circumcision frequency rate (CFR). We performed an intervention trial to test this hypothesis. A videotape presentation summarizing factors relating to neonatal circumcision was prepared. Permission was obtained from NBC, Inc. to also present Kiker's NBC News Magazine commentary "Circumcision: the casual cut" which aired in Nov 1981. In the videotape counsel group (VTCG), parents of male infants born between 1 Jan and 30 Jun 1982 were asked to view the two videotapes before deciding for or against circumcision. In the routine physician counsel group (RPCG), parents of male infants born after 1 Jul 1982 were counselled by the house officer-on-call without the videotape. This second method of counselling was what had been practiced prior to undertaking the study. The CFR of the VTCG was compared to the RPCG and with circumcision data from previous years at Tripler AMC. Results are as follows:
Conclusion: VTC is an effective method for "informed consent" to circumcision, and significantly affects the choice that is made (p <.05).
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Enzenauer, R., Wiswell, T., Powell, J. et al. DECREASED CIRCUMCISION RATE WITH VIDEOTAPE COUNSELLING. Pediatr Res 18 (Suppl 4), 103 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198404001-00061
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198404001-00061