Infants in the US were operated on without anesthesia until the 1980s

[CircadianRhythm]

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http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-05-08-babies-pain_x.htm

So, what the hell?

 

[Escape_Goat]

Have you ever seen how circumcisions are performed? It's barbaric.

 

[CircadianRhythm]

No I have not. Admittedly I have mixed feelings about circumcision and will hold off forming an opinion until I get closer to having my own children. But I was reading that even open heart surgery was performed without anesthesia, I just don't understand how this could have been the standard of care so recently. I'd imagine some of these surgeons could still be in practice.

I remember watching a video of an infant in a sink being bathed who turned the hot water on when the mother wasnt looking. Instantly the child started screaming. How the medical community came to the conclusion that they don't feel pain is beyond me.

 

[Bacchus]

Have you ever seen how circumcisions are performed? It's barbaric.

Have you? The infant receives a bilateral penile nerve block along with 24% sucrose solution for anesthesia. The anesthesia is appropriate; there is relatively little blood loss and most infants are distressed a large minority of the time compared to when they're just laying there during the procedure.

 

[Escape_Goat]

Have you? The infant receives a bilateral penile nerve block along with 24% sucrose solution for anesthesia. The anesthesia is appropriate; there is relatively little blood loss and most infants are distressed a large minority of the time compared to when they're just laying there during the procedure.

I have, in fact. They're less "just laying there" and more strapped down. Granted, I have ethical objections to circumcision.

 

[IslandStyle808]

Wow what a coincidence. I was just recently watching a video on the alltime10s channel, and its video on child experiments was mentioning that infants were not anesthetized until around the mid 1980s. I am thankful that medicine is moving toward more evidence based practice versus practice on theocratical beliefs.

 

[Bacchus]

I have, in fact. They're less "just laying there" and more strapped down. Granted, I have ethical objections to circumcision.

They're strapped down because you can't ask a baby to lay still. The restraints stop movement to protect the child and the physician. They're 1) soft restraints 2) put on without traction 3) not tight.

The last thing I want is a 2d old wriggling around while I'm trying to do the procedure.

 

[NontradCA]

Have you? The infant receives a bilateral penile nerve block along with 24% sucrose solution for anesthesia. The anesthesia is appropriate; there is relatively little blood loss and most infants are distressed a large minority of the time compared to when they're just laying there during the procedure.

I have watched over a 100 of these and while then do get blocks I have only seen one not cry. They cry several times, but usually consistent from after the block so it's hard to tell if it hurts when the clamp is applied. However, if they calm down after the block they almost always cry with the clamp. They also don't like being strapped down. So it's not the most comfortable thing for them. I wouldn't call it barbaric though. Maybe the hospital I was at had some crummy Peds though I'm not sure, I was young and (still am) naive.

 

[Escape_Goat]

They're strapped down because you can't ask a baby to lay still. The restraints stop movement to protect the child and the physician. They're 1) soft restraints 2) put on without traction 3) not tight.

The last thing I want is a 2d old wriggling around while I'm trying to do the procedure.

It's still a procedure done for cosmetic and/or sociocultural reasons which offers no real medical benefit and is performed without the patient's consent.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

It's still a procedure done for cosmetic and/or sociocultural reasons which offers no real medical benefit and is performed without the patient's consent.

I mean a lot of things fall into this description tbh.

Also can we not have a Circumcision argument here? It's a great way to start an enormous argument and etc.

 

[Escape_Goat]

I mean a lot of things fall into this description tbh.

Also can we not have a Circumcision argument here? It's a great way to start an enormous argument and etc.

Agreed. I really prefer not to derail the thread.

 

[Bacchus]

I mean a lot of things fall into this description tbh.

Also can we not have a Circumcision argument here? It's a great way to start an enormous argument and etc.

Agreed. The AAP position statement is out there to be read.