Sir.—Among 182 febrile infants less than 3 months of age, Krober and colleagues1 found 20 cases of urinary tract infection (UTI).1 In their study, UTI was more common in male infants (14/20), especially uncircumcised ones (12/14, 86%). Wiswell et al2 also reported a decreased incidence of UTI in circumcised male infants in the first eight months of life.2
In a study of Jewish infants with fever in the first month of life, we have found that of 47 febrile infants, eight (17%) suffered from UTI.3 Urinary tract infection was diagnosed only by suprapubic aspiration of the bladder contents. All of the infants were male, and UTI appeared a few days after circumcision (range, one to ten days). Intravenous pyelograms were obtained in all eight infants and in three disclosed anomalies of the urinary tract.
Circumcision may prevent UTI due to phimosis and rectal contamination