The issue:
Why did physicians who thought neonatal circumcision had no medical indication circumcise 52 healthy male newborns, traumatizing some of them to the point of danger? To see the CNN report on this medical study, click
here. To see the report as published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, click
here.
Participants:
Scene:
Antenatal units in two tertiary care hospitals in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Correspondents, in alphabetical order:
Dr. W. W. (Bill) Anderson, Past President, Alberta Medical Association.
Dr. Denise Avard,, Director, Canadian Institute of Child Health.
Dr. Vangie Bergum, Co-Director, John Dossetor Health Care Ethics Centre.
Dr. David Bond, President, Alberta Medical Association (1999-2000).
Dr. Paul Byrne, Co-Director, John Dossetor Health Care Ethics Centre.
Dr. Mary Lou Cranston, Director, St. Joseph's Health Care Ethics Centre.
Dr. Henry Dinsdale, President, National Council on Ethics in Human Research.
Mr. Pierre Dionne, Director, International Bureau for Children's Rights.
Dr. Emmett Francoeur, President, Canadian Paediatric Society.
Dr. Roderick Fraser, President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Alberta.
Ms. Peggy M. Hartman, Director of Civil and Family Legal Services.
The Honourable Jon Havelock, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Alberta.
The Honourable Halvar Jonson, Minister of Health, Province of Alberta.
Mr. Ronald Kustra, Assistant Executive Director (Public Affairs), AMA.
Dr. Janice Lander, Associate Dean, Faculty of Nursing and head of the research team.
R. Gary McCuaig, Chief Crown Prosecutor—Edmonton.
The Honourable Anne McLellan, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
Ms. Fernande Meilleur, Director, Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children.
Dr. Donald Morrish, Chair of the Research Ethics Board that approved the study.
Dr. Rowland T. Nichol, President, Alberta Medical Association (1998-99).
Dr. Larry Ohlhauser, Registrar of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta.
Mr. Ian Potter, Assistant Deputy Minister, HPPB, Health Canada.
Mr. Bob Rechner, Children's Advocate, Province of Alberta.
Mr. Brian Ward, Director, Childhood and Youth Division, Health Canada.
The correspondence, in chronological order:
| Date | Reply | Correspondent |
| 97 Dec 27 | 98 Feb 02 | Jon Havelock, Attorney General of Alberta |
| 98 Feb 12 | due* | Larry Ohlhauser, Registrar, College of Physicians and Surgeons |
| 98 Feb 12 | 98 Mar 03 | Bill Anderson, Past President, Alberta Medical Association |
| 98 Mar 20 | n/a | Ron Kustra, Assistant Executive Director (Public Affairs), AMA |
| 98 Mar 20 | due* | Janice Lander |
| 98 Mar 28 | 98 Apr 24 | Roderick Fraser, President, University of Alberta |
| 98 Mar 28 | 98 May 08 | Health Promotion and Programs Branch (HPPB), sponsor of the study |
| 98 Mar 28 | n/a | Brian Ward, Director, Childhood and Youth Division, Health Canada |
| 98 Apr 08 | 98 Apr 16 | Bob Rechner, Children's Advocate, Province of Alberta |
| 98 Apr 19 | due* | Denise Avard, Director, Canadian Institute of Child Health |
| 98 Apr 19 | due* | Pierre Dionne, Director, International Bureau for Children's Rights |
| 98 Apr 19 | due* | Fernande Meilleur |
| 98 May 11 | 98 June 29 | Fraser |
| 98 June 04 | 98 July 06 | Ian Potter, Assistant Deputy Minister, HPPB |
| 98 June 24 | 98 Sept 09 | Mary Lou Cranston, Director, St. Joseph's Health Care Ethics Centre |
| 98 June 26 | due* | Vangie Bergum and Paul Byrne |
| 98 June 26 | 98 July 21 | Halvar Jonson, Alberta Minister of Health |
| 98 June 26 | due* | Lander |
| 98 July 16 | n/a | Potter |
| 98 Aug 17 | n/a | Jonson |
| 98 Aug 28 | 98 Sept 10 | Donald Morrish, Chair, Research Ethics Board, U of Alberta |
| 98 Sept 17 | due* | Morrish |
| 98 Sept 18 | 98 Oct 23 | Henry Dinsdale, President, National Council on Ethics in Human Research |
| 98 Sept 18 | due* | Emmett Francoeur, President, Canadian Paediatric Society |
| 98 Nov 13 | due* | Rowland T. Nichol, President, Alberta Medical Association |
| 98 Nov 13 | due* | Morrish |
| 98 Nov 13 | due* | Ohlhauser |
| 98 Nov 13 | due* | Dinsdale |
| 98 Nov 13 | due* | Anne McLellan, Attorney General of Canada |
| 99 May 21 | 99 Jun 02 | R. Gary McCuaig, Chief Crown Prosecutor—Edmonton |
| 99 May 21 | 99 June 08 | Morrish |
| 99 June 17 | due* | Morrish |
| 99 Sep 27 | due* | Morrish |
| 99 Sep 29 | 99 Oct 12 | Bob Rechner, Alberta Children's Advocate |
| 99 Oct 07 | due* | Dinsdale |
| 99 Nov 03 | 99 Dec 17 | David Bond, President, Alberta Medical Association (1999-2000) |
| 00 Jan 07 | 00 Jan 25 | Bond |
| 00 Jan 24 | 00 Jan 26 | Ohlhauser |
* due over 6 months