Baby Dies From Circumcision

A baby has died from cardiac arrest and oxygen starvation caused, it could be, by his bris. The Mirror reports:

DETECTIVES are investigating the death of a seven-day-old baby after he was circumcised.

Stunned relatives at the Jewish ceremony saw the toddler experience breathing difficulties.

He was taken to hospital but died eight days later. A post mortem found the infant died from cardiac arrest and oxygen starvation.

Police are to interview family members and the senior rabbi who performed the operation at [the Orthodox] Golders Green Synagogue in North London. Concerns raised by doctors treating the baby have led to the probe being led by Scotland Yard's child abuse investigators.

Police and Home Office sources said the investigation was "highly unusual".

A Scotland Yard spokesman stated: "The death is being treated as unexplained at this early stage."

The baby died two weeks ago at University College Hospital, Central London.…

[Hat Tip: The Beadle.]

Comments

"DETECTIVES are investigating the death of a seven-day-old baby after he was circumcised."

Circumcision, not bris mila (and certainly not metzitza b'peh).

Why is this news? The halacha prohibits one from giving one's son a bris if two previous sons have died fom the procedure. Obviously, it's not unheard of.

[Shemdrik]

The two previous sons dying thing is an obvious reference to hemophilia.

[The Beadle]

This is news because a Jewish baby died in terrible circumstances.

[The Beadle]

secondly, this is not a Jewish newspaper, what do you want them to write?

I received a letter today from US (United Synagogue) Chief Executive, Rabbi Saul Zneimer. This is an extract of the letter:

He was taken ill shortly after a normal an uneventful Brit Mila, carried out by a trained and experienced mohel.

A post mortem was carried out the results of which will not be public for a while and an Inquiry has begun.

The events have been reported in the press and in the general media and will no doubt attract focussed and critical attention on Brit Mila.

The Community leadership under the Board of Deputies is meeting this afternoon, Thursday, to coordinate the public response this issue and we will brief you afterwards.
At the moment the US has said the following;

“The death of a baby is always a terrible tragedy and our hearts go out to the family at this difficult time. However as this matter is subject of an Inquiry, it would be inappropriate for there to be any further comment at this stage.”

Now are you permitted to be upset because the words "brit milla" were used?

[James Gosnell]

It would be nice to see an article about how many lives are saved by circumcision.

[Ahavah bat Sarah]

It's clear to me that the child died from anaphalaxic shock - his airway was restricted by swelling and resulted in cardiac arrest. This is an allergic reaction - probably to the antiseptic, someone's perfume or even the cleaning solution used on the knife. We learned all about anaphalaxic shock several years ago when we had to rush our middle son to the ER years ago after my diabetic aunt gave him food with saccharine in it. We had no idea he was allergic until right that second, when he started choking and went to the ER to be treated. (We didn't know right that second that heart palpitations also occur during an attack.) These severe allergies are almost 100% a surprise to the parents because it is only the first or second exposure to an item that causes the anaphalaxis. I don't believe the mohel or the family is in any way responsible for this child's death. Our son lived, B"H, but many other children every year don't survive their first attack.

[Sam]

Why did a baby have a Bris before he was eight days old?

The question from the original anon wasn't on the source of the article, rather on this site.

[ed]

>DETECTIVES are investigating the death of a seven-day-old baby after he was circumcised.

Seven day old? Eh Shmarya?

[TLC Tugger]

This certainly makes the case for Brit Shalom (joyous bloodless naming ceremony).

See http://JewsAgainstCircumcision.org
See the film CUT: Slicing through the Myths of Circumcision by Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon (trailer: http://TLCTugger.com/Cut)

[Shmarya]

ed –

A baby is born on a Sunday, five minutes before shkiya. When is his brit. On the 8th day, which is Sunday, at the earliest possible time in the day – usually just after shacharit at about 8 am. A non Jew might view this as the 7th day. Further, it is a non-Jewish reporter writing about a real story. The office of the Chief Rabbi confirms the story. What in the world is your problem?

[yair]

I'm confused shmarya - what's your point? that no one should be allowed to have a bris? Should we end the practice of circumcision altogether?

[Shmarya]

I'm confused, Yair. What's your point? That I should not report this story?

[Eikin Kloster]

Found this thread Google searching for hemophilia, circumcision and aish.edu.
In this point I'll have to agree with Shmarya. I'll further: Yes, Yair, we should end the practice of circumcision altogether, and it could be done through the Hallachah. Many a barbaric thing that was once Hallachah has been dropped a long time ago. Circumcision is just one that unfortunatelly, because of circumstances, stuck for longer. You (well, whoever is reading this, since this thread stopped 2.5 years ago) can start through these links:

http://www.cirp.org/library/history/
http://www.nocirc.org/symposia/second/moss.html