Dr. Paul Thomas, an Author and YouTube Favorite, Is Honored as an Intactivist by Intact America
Tarrytown, New York (PRWEB) December 05, 2016 -- Paul Thomas, M.D. is a beloved pediatrician, author, and social media star on YouTube, whose wise counsel has helped parents make informed decisions about their children’s health. His advice for expectant parents is to leave their baby boys intact. Now, Intact America has recognized Dr. Thomas for his anti-circumcision stance. Last month, he was named Intact America’s Intactivist of the Month.
“American parents need more doctors like Dr. Thomas,” says Georganne Chapin, executive director of Intact America. “Doctors who know the score, who know that performing unnecessary and painful surgery on babies is wrong, and who aren’t afraid to say so.”
“Dr. Paul,” as he is known to his patients and YouTube followers, says, “It is important to understand that infant circumcision is an entirely elective, cosmetic procedure with no real health benefits.” His advice to expectant and new parents: “Once it’s gone, you can’t put the foreskin back. If your son wants to be circumcised later in life, that’s his decision.”
A HARSH WELCOME TO THE WORLD
Dr. Paul, who earned his medical degree from Dartmouth, says he is greatly troubled by the trauma of infant circumcision. “If you have cared for a circumcised newborn, you know that most cry when they pee on the raw wound and sometimes even when their diaper is changed,” he says. He notes that an America Academy of Pediatrics task force study published in Pediatrics this year found repeated pain from minor medical procedures, even heel pricks, affects a baby’s development and lasts for years. “Imagine what circumcision might be doing to a developing brain and a baby’s emotional health,” he says.
While he urges the American public to open their eyes and learn what circumcision entails, he does not want parents to feel guilty. “If you’ve already circumcised your baby, don’t feel bad about that decision, as it’s done and you made the best decision you could at the time.”
Dr. Paul says he is circumcised, but his five sons, now all grown, are not. “Because we are talking about permanently removing a part of an infant’s most basic anatomy and the infant himself cannot consent, there is really only one ethical option — to leave a baby's penis alone and intact.”
ABOUT DR. PAUL THOMAS
Protecting children is at the heart of Dr. Paul’s work at Integrative Pediatrics, based in Portland, Oregon. A Dartmouth-trained board-certified pediatrician and a specialist in addiction medicine, he has more than 13,000 children in his practice, and more than 229,000 subscribers follow him on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/paulthomasmd. He is the co-author, with Jennifer Margulis, Ph.D., of a comprehensive guide to children’s health, "The Vaccine-Friendly Plan," which calls for a slower, evidence-based vaccine schedule, recommends against circumcision, and offers advice on building your child’s immunity and other pediatric health topics.
Dr. Paul’s health mission is to protect children from exposures to toxins, and that includes circumcising baby boys. He also urges parents to avoid acetaminophen (Tylenol), which has been linked to liver failure and brain damage in children. As he explains, “With the added toxic stress our newborns are experiencing in today’s world, it now seems prudent to do all we can to reduce stress.”
For more information on Dr. Paul and his thoughts on circumcision, read the Intact America profile http://www.intactamerica.org/iotm_november2016 and Dr. Paul’s blog post http://paulthomasmd.com/2015/05/06/circumcision-yes-or-no/.
ABOUT INTACT AMERICA
Intact America is the largest national advocacy group working to end involuntary circumcision in America, and to ensure a healthy sexual future for all people. Intact America is based in Tarrytown, New York. For more information, visit Intact America at http://www.intactamerica.org, on Facebook, and on Twitter.
Jeannie Ashford, Harrison Edwards PR & Marketing, http://harrison-edwardspr.com, +1 914-242-0010 Ext: 103, [email protected]
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