Should i retract my sons foreskin

Before the foreskin first retracts, the opening may look small and tight. As the foreskin begins to retract, there may be some soreness or discomfort, but this will usually go away after a day or two. If the symptoms last for longer than this, or if your child experiences swelling, infection 'balanitis' or a white scarring at the tip of the penis, a rare condition called balanitis xerotic obliterans BXO , then it is a good idea to see a specialist paediatric urologist.

Options would then include medical treatment a mild steroid cream or antibiotics if acutely infected or surgery. Surgical options include preputioplasty , where the foreskin is stretched but preserved, or circumcision. Once the foreskin is retractile, children should be reminded to pull the foreskin back into place after retraction, to avoid it getting stuck behind the glans paraphimosis. If this occurs, urgent treatment should be sought.

Some parents choose to have their sons circumcised for religious or cultural reasons. In babies up to 6 weeks of age, this may be performed under a local anaesthetic, otherwise known as a penile block, which only numbs the penis. In older babies and children, it is safer and more comfortable for them to have a general anaesthetic.

In both cases, the post-operative recovery is the same, and it is usual for the procedure to be carried out as a day-case, meaning the child will be able to leave the hospital the same day as the procedure. She specialises in all areas of kidney, bladder and genital anomalies that babies are born with or develop later in childhood. In particular, she counsels pregnant mothers whose babies are prenatally-diagnosed with a kidney condition, so that the best postnatal plan can be made for the newborn.

Miss Marie-Klaire Farrugia is the c Overall assessment of their patients See opinions This is still normal. The foreskin might not fully separate from the glans until after puberty. Again, this is normal. In the years before the foreskin separates fully from the glans, skin cells can build up under the foreskin as a whitish substance called smegma. It might even cause firm lumps under the foreskin. Your son can wash smegma away with water, but it can also be left for years without problems.

By puberty, regular showering will clean it away. Most boys regularly play with their penises and foreskins during early childhood.

This is normal. Foreskins vary considerably in length. Medical experts agree that the risks of circumcision for boys for non-medical reasons outweigh the benefits. Foreskin retraction may happen immediately after birth, or it may take several years. Some boys can retract their foreskin as early as age 5, but some may not be able to do this until their teenage years. Retraction of the foreskin should not be forced.

This may cause pain and bleeding and can lead to scarring and adhesions where skin is stuck to skin. As your son begins to toilet train, teach him how to retract his foreskin, this will get him used to this necessary step during urination.

Eventually, the foreskin should be retracted far enough during urination to see the meatus the hole where the urine comes from. This prevents urine from building up beneath the foreskin and possibly causing an infection. If the foreskin retracts a little, just clean the exposed area of the glans with water.

After cleaning, always gently pull the foreskin back over the glans of the penis.