City Requires Parental Consent on Ultra-Orthodox Circumcision

The New York Times is reporting that the City’s Board of Health has unanimously passed a regulation requiring consent from parents before an infant can have a form of Jewish ritual circumcision known as metzitzah b’peh in which the circumciser uses his mouth to remove blood from the incision. The practice is most common in parts of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities.

In a morning meeting, the nine-member panel of doctors and public health professionals said that though the regulation had been challenged by some Orthodox Jewish religious authorities as an unconstitutional infringement of their religious freedom, the risk of disease from the ancient procedure was serious enough to warrant action.

Many of those affected live in Brooklyn neighborhoods such as Midwood, Borough Park and Crown Heights, areas close to or bordering Ditmas Park. Communities and families within the neighborhood are affected as well. The move has inspired vocal responses from supporters and detractors of the regulation around the city and world.

In general, circumcision rates have been falling rapidly in the U.S. in the last decade. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently said that “the health benefits of circumcision in newborn boys outweigh any risks and insurance companies should pay for it.” These two studies refer to all male circumcision and not just metzitzah b’peh.

In a neighborhood with so many parents young and old, what do you think about the city’s new regulation?

Photo: Michael Galpert