Death

One of the risks of circumcision in either sex, at any age, is death. It is difficult to obtain accurate estimates of the deaths caused by circumcision because hospitals are not required to release this data, doctors often purposefully attribute the death to a secondary cause, such as "hemorrhaging," or "septic shock," and oftentimes, parents who are complicit agree to keep silent about the surrounding of their child's death.

As an example, evidence that shows mohels are spreading the herpes virus to children via the practice of metzitzah b'peh, or direct oral suction of the wounded child's penis, has been mounting recently, but parents who are asked about details surrounding their children's deaths, who performed their child's circumcisions, whether or not metzitzah b'peh was performed, etc., are often not forthcoming to protect the reputation of the ritual circumcisers in their community.

Parents of children who were circumcised in the secular setting of the hospital may also agree to repeat whatever their doctor told them to protect both the reputation of the doctor involved, and to keep their conscience free of the fact that they gave their consent to the procedure.

Estimations of death due to male infant circumcision

A study in 2010 estimated approximately 117 neonatal circumcision-related deaths occur annually in the United States, about one out of every 77 male neonatal deaths, more than suffocation, auto accidents, or even SIDS.