Circumcision Safety: Coroner’s Warning After Baby’s Death

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LONDON, February 23, 2023 – A six-month-old boy’s death following an infected circumcision has prompted a coroner to warn that similar tragedies could occur in the UK due to a lack of standardized training and oversight for those performing the procedure. It’s a sobering reminder that even common medical interventions aren’t always as safe as we assume.

Circumcision Deaths: UK Coroner Calls for Action

A preventable death has exposed critical gaps in regulation surrounding non-therapeutic circumcisions in the United Kingdom.

• Mohamed Abdisamad died in February 2023 from a streptococcus infection after a circumcision.
• A coroner’s report highlighted a lack of infection control training for circumcisers.
• There is currently no system of accreditation or registration for those performing non-therapeutic circumcisions in the UK.
• The coroner has issued a report to the Department of Health and Social Care demanding a response within 56 days.

Mohamed Abdisamad, a six-month-old boy, died on February 21, 2023, after developing an infection following a circumcision performed at home. His mother reported that symptoms of illness developed three or four days later.

The inquest, which concluded on October 8, 2022, steadfast the medical cause of death to be an “invasive streptococcus pyogenes infection following male circumcision.” Van Dellen’s subsequent Prevention of Future Deaths report, published this week, details meaningful concerns about the current state of circumcision practices in the UK.

The coroner’s report specifically noted the absence of mandatory infection control measures during circumcision rituals and a lack of standardized aftercare instructions, including wound dressing, pain management, and guidance on recognizing worsening symptoms.

Van Dellen expressed alarm that individuals without formal training or ongoing professional progress are permitted to perform non-therapeutic circumcisions. He also pointed to the lack of a formal accreditation or registration system for practitioners. Moreover, the report highlighted a deficiency in record-keeping and a complete absence of a consent process prior to the procedure.

“during the inquest, the evidence revealed matters giving rise to concern. In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken,” Van Dellen wrote in his report.The report has been sent to the Department of Health and Social Care, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, with a deadline of 56 days for a response.

Copies of the report were also distributed to Mohamed’s family – his mother, father, maternal grandmother, and uncle – and also the London Ambulance Service.

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