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The timing of when parents can safely give their newborns a bath after circumcision is crucial to ensure proper healing and to prevent infections. Typically, a newborn should not have a bath until both healing sites—the circumcision site and the umbilical stump—are completely healed. Bathing before these areas are fully healed can increase the risk of water exposure leading to infection or irritation of the surgical site.

Complete healing of the circumcision area often takes several days, while the umbilical stump falls off and heals within the first few weeks of life. Therefore, the emphasis is on ensuring that both sites have had adequate time to heal before bathing the infant to promote the best outcomes for their health and recovery.

On the other hand, bathing too soon after circumcision can impede the healing process of the circumcision site, which might be sensitive and prone to complications such as bleeding or infection. Thus, waiting until everything is completely healed is the safest approach for both the circumcised area and the umbilical stump.