Diana Cheng1, Lee Hurt, Isabelle L Horon. 1. Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 201 West Preston Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. chengd@dhmh.state.md.us
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To study circumcision rates in Maryland using hospital discharge and maternal survey data in order to provide healthcare providers, parents and policy makers with more accurate and comprehensive information about this common yet controversial procedure. METHODS: Secondary data analyses were performed using Maryland hospital discharge data files containing records of 96,457 male newborns, and postpartum survey data collected from 4273 mothers through the Maryland Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System. RESULTS: Hospital discharge data showed that 75.3% of male infants were circumcised, and survey data showed that 82.3% of male infants were circumcised. The circumcision rate among infants weighing <1500 g at birth was 38.9% using hospital discharge data and 74.5% using maternal survey data. Both sources revealed lower circumcision rates among Asian and Hispanic infants than among non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic black infants. CONCLUSIONS: Despite reports of decreasing circumcision rates nationally, rates remain high in Maryland. In addition to providing for the inclusion of circumcision procedures that may not have been coded properly in hospital discharge records and procedures that were performed after hospital discharge, maternal survey data provide more comprehensive information than hospital discharge data about parental characteristics and factors relevant to the circumcision decision-making process.
OBJECTIVE: To study circumcision rates in Maryland using hospital discharge and maternal survey data in order to provide healthcare providers, parents and policy makers with more accurate and comprehensive information about this common yet controversial procedure. METHODS: Secondary data analyses were performed using Maryland hospital discharge data files containing records of 96,457 male newborns, and postpartum survey data collected from 4273 mothers through the Maryland Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System. RESULTS: Hospital discharge data showed that 75.3% of male infants were circumcised, and survey data showed that 82.3% of male infants were circumcised. The circumcision rate among infants weighing <1500 g at birth was 38.9% using hospital discharge data and 74.5% using maternal survey data. Both sources revealed lower circumcision rates among Asian and Hispanic infants than among non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic black infants. CONCLUSIONS: Despite reports of decreasing circumcision rates nationally, rates remain high in Maryland. In addition to providing for the inclusion of circumcision procedures that may not have been coded properly in hospital discharge records and procedures that were performed after hospital discharge, maternal survey data provide more comprehensive information than hospital discharge data about parental characteristics and factors relevant to the circumcision decision-making process.