Gee WF, Ansell JS. Neonatal circumcision: a ten-year overview: with comparison of the Gomco clamp and
the Plastibell device. Pediatrics. 1976;58:824-827.
The records of 5,882 live male births were reviewed to ascertain the incidence and nature of complications following neonatal circumcision. Approximately one half of the patients were circumcised with the Gomco and half with the Plastibell. The incidence of complications was 0.2%; most frequent were hemorrhage, infection, and trauma; there were no deaths; and no transfusions were given.
Williams N, Kapila L. Complications of circumcision. Br J Surg. 1993;80:1231-1236.
It may be argued that in doubtful cases it is easier to proceed to circumcision on the assumption that the risks are low, but the operation is associated with a definite morbidity and rare deaths are reported.
[Griffiths DM, Atwell JD, Freeman NY. A prospective study of the indications and morbidity of circumcision in children. Eur Urol. 1985;11:184-187.
Both the British Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that circumcision should only be performed for medical reasons. No one has ever described which reasons are actually used, nor measured the morbidity of the procedure. Of 140 boys coming to day-case elective circumcision between the ages of 3 months and 14 years (mean 4.3 years), the commonest cause was a congenital phimosis[*] (42.8%). Four (2.8%) patients required acute readmission postoperatively, and a further 4 developed meatal stenosis, requiring a formal meatotomy. Of 99 patients followed up in detail, 46% vomited, 36% oozed, 19% did not pass urine for more than 12 h and 26% could not wear pants for more than 7 days. Childhood circumcision has an appreciable morbidity, and should not be recommended without a medical reason.
Kaplan GW. Complications of circumcision. Urol Clin North Am. 1983;10:543-549.
The exact incidence of complications is unknown. In one series of consecutive circumcisions, 9.5 per cent of patients had repeated circumcisions for inadequately performed initial operations.39 In that same series, 38 per cent of patients sustained complications.39 In three series surveyed retrospectively, the incidence of complications ranged from 1.5 per cent to 5 per cent.21,43 and some patients required readmission to hospital for treatment of their complications or for repeat operations. One per cent of all circumcisions in McCarthy's series required repetition because they were inadequate.43 Additionally, Fredman mentions two deaths as a direct result of sepsis from neonatal circumcision during a 10-year period.22 Deaths under similar circumstances have been noted as isolated case reports elsewhere in the literature12,37,60. Suffice to say that circumcision, like any other surgical procedure, is accompanied by both morbidity and mortality that should be considered when risks and benefits of the operation are discussed.
AAFP, Circumcision: Position Paper on Neonatal Circumcision, august 2007
Neonatal circumcision has an estimated complication rate ranging from 0.1% to 35%. The vast majority of complications are infection, bleeding, and failure to remove enough foreskin. (5) One study of more than 350,000 newborns identified a complication rate of 1/476 (3) and another study estimated a complication rate of 1/100. (4) Meatitis and meatal stenosis are more serious complications that have been reported to occur in 8% to 21% of circumcised infants, (6) however no well-controlled cohort study has clearly identified a causal relationship between circumcision and meatitis. (7) Although meatitis is believed to occur more frequently in circumcised infants, balanoposthitis is believed to occur more frequently in uncircumcised children. (8) Serious complications, such as necrotizing fascitis, urethral fistula, partial penile amputation, penile necrosis, and concealed penis, have been reported. (9) Death is rare, and mortality risk has been estimated to be 1/500,000 procedures. (10)
Er waren veel meer studies (zie KNMG bibliografie item 17 - 24) maar beschouw dit als een bloemlezing (voor de getalletjes). De kritische kanttekening die het KNMG is dus zet: waarom zouden we bij mensen zonder duidelijke medische voordelen een ingreep doen waarbij de kans op complicaties zo groot is.Boyle, G., Male Circumcision: Pain, Trauma and Psychosexual Sequelae, Journal of Health Psychology, Vol. 7, No. 3, 329-343 (2002)
Infant male circumcision continues despite growing questions about its medical justification. As usually performed without analgesia or anaesthetic, circumcision is observably painful. It is likely that genital cutting has physical, sexual and psychological consequences too. Some studies link involuntary male circumcision with a range of negative emotions and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Some circumcised men have described their current feelings in the language of violation, torture, mutilation and sexual assault. In view of the acute as well as long-term risks from circumcision and the legal liabilities that might arise, it is timely for health professionals and scientists to re-examine the evidence on this issue and participate in the debate about the advisability of this surgical procedure on unconsenting minors.
Dat is dus de medische kant (1) van het verhaaltje.
Hebr 6: 
en ook hygiënischer. Maar allen, het besnijden van vrouwen bvb is toch helemaal iets anders? Dan snijdt men de clitoris en soms ook de schaamlippen weg. Dat noem ik pas verminken. bij de man wordt niks verwijdert, bij een vrouw waar de clitoris of schaamlippen worden weggesneden daarentegen??? 