5 year old son - too young?

[mgracer]

Okay I've read a few posts about members against circumcision.

Our son got sick 2 weeks ago and his doctor said the tip of his penis got infected some what. She said my son is a candidate for "early" circumcision. Is 5 year old too young to be circumcised? My heart is melting by just thinking the pain he have to endure and I wanted circumcision to be done when he's like can decide a little for himself.

[eirual]

I'm sure more knowlegable mommas will be along in no time, but it seems like that's quite a drastic and unneccesary step. How about upping the Vit C in his diet, lots of garlic and cranberry juice- no sugar. The regular fighting-off-any-kind-of-infection kind of thing.

[glongley]

Your doctor does not know what they're talking about! There are effective conservative ways to prevent and treat any problems that might occur with a foreskin - amputative surgery is not indicated! Good grief! (Directed at the doctor, not you.)

PLease read this article which goes over all the reasons a doctor might say a boy "needs" to be circumcised, and why its virtually NEVER true!

http://www.mothering.com/articles/ne...uncircson.html

What symptoms is your son having? How has it been treated? If he's been on antibiotics, you will need to replenish the good bacteria with oral and topical acidphilus to keep him from getting a yeast infection on top of it.

That doctor needs some education. I'd be looking for a new pediatrician who is more knowledgeable and respectful of intact penises.

Gillian

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

No way does he need circ unless he has cancer, frostbite or gangrene and from you post he has none of that.

Your ds's only problem is a ignorent Dr. You have a lot of reading you need to do.

Do not take the word of a Dr. who was only taught in medical school how to cut the foreskin off.

Get a new Dr. one who actually knows what they are talking about.

You said he "had" and infection not that he still has one. So he is better right? so why even suggest cutting on a healthy body part.

He may not even have had an infection maybe it was seperation issues read here for more on that http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=764732 Even if it was an infection you treat one there as you would treat it anywhere else on the body.

[robertandenith]

Hello there! Welcome to the boards!

I want to ask you... how would you treat an infection in your toes, or in your ear? We are not chopping off kids ears or toes because of infections right? We treat it! I don't understand the need to amputate a part of the body if it's only an infection, and like MCatLvrMom2A&X said, probably it is not even an infection but a separation issue which might be normal. Like a pp said, make sure he eats a lot of vitamin c foods, and lots of garlic. Probably taking herbs for kids like echinacea with goldenroot (which is a natural antibiotic) and lots of probiotics (I swear by this stuff!) might help IF there is any infection at all. You can also give him epsom salts baths.

Be firm, he DON'T NEED a circ and you might want to change ped, this ped has NO IDEA how to deal with a foreskin and rather amputate it because this ped it is not just familiar with it - so unethical.

Good Luck!

[Yulia_R]

I'm so sorry mama that you had to deal with such pure ridicules unforgivable ignorance of this doctor (HUGS).

Even IF your son indeed has an infection, it does NOT require circumcision. Your doctor is SO misinformed on the issue of intact penises, it is not even funny…rather dangerous I’d say. You really need to find a foreskin friendly doctor.

Does your son have a discharge coming out of his penis? If not, it may not be infection, but just a normal process of separation. In this case a warm bath with a bit of baking soda in it will help him to feel better. Sometimes during separation the penis can be a bit swollen and it can be painful for a boy to urinate (warm bath is a great help with that as well). If this is the case it should resolve on its own within 48 hours.

If the penis is indeed infected, the doctor needs to take a culture from the tip of the penis to identify whether it’s yeast or bacteria (make sure the ped does NOT RETRACT your son’s foreskin, not even a little bit. This is very important). If it is yeast, anti-fungal creams are usually prescribed, plus make sure your son gets good probioticts at least 10 billions a day (you can buy them in any health-food store). If infection is bacterial, it can be easily treated with antibiotics, just make sure again your son gets a good probiotic at least 10 billions a day for at least few months following antibiotic (and during the treatment as well, for example, if you give antibiotic in the evening, gove probiotic in the morning. You can mix the powder with yogurt or drinks).

The probiotics have nothing to do with your son being intact, of course. It just helps to mantain a healhy gut flora.

[latinalonestar]

I'm just going to reiterate what others have said...

That doc doesn't have a clue about the intact boy.

Unless she did a culture by swabbing the tip of his penis. (NO RETRACTION) Then she could not possibly tell whether there is an infection. Infections are very rare. It can be normal for there to be redness at the tip. The foreskin is very vascular (like lips) The inner foreskin is normally more reddish.

Separation and retraction are unique for each boy. This process is completely normal and can take until puberty. Here is a little info about separation and retraction:

http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcisi...kinleaflet.pdf

http://www.nocirc.org/publish/pamphlet6.html

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=764732
(read this carefully)

Here is an important article for you to read. Please print this and keep it on hand also print a copy for your doctor. She can use a good dose of foreskin education.

http://www.mothering.com/articles/ne...uncircson.html

Remember the ONLY reasons to circumcise would be in the case of frostbite, gangrene, malignancy or serious trauma. THAT IS ALL.

http://www.nocirc.org/publish/pamphlet7.html

Circumcision is damaging to the male sex organ and removes important, functional tissue. Learn about the foreskin here:
Video part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9DoCn3gATE
Video part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps1dk...eature=related

[slsurface]

It sounds like your DS may have been on antibiotics and that he has thrush/yeast overgrowth from it...definitely NOT grounds for circ.

Try some probiotic supplements - which will kill the yeast. Yogurt with live cultures can also be used topically to help kill the yeast. We use both these strategies whenever anyone in the house gets yeast overgrowth. I severe cases, a prescription called dyflocan (sp?), can also get ride of thrush. Good luck mama!

[latinalonestar]

I want to reiterate that until he has reached consenting age and used his penis for it's intended purpose, then he is in no position to make a decision to permanently alter a functional portion of his body.

If you suspect yeast (looks peely with white bumps) have her do a culture by swabbing the tip. (again NO retraction) The culture will tell you if it is yeast or bacterial. Infections, whether yeast or bacterial, are very obvious. Yeast can occur after a round of antibiotics. Bacterial infections would demonstrate swelling, puss, or fever and get worse with time. These are rare. My bet that it is nothing though.

[Haselnuss]

You've gotten good answers - I just have a question. Where are you from? The doctor's wording ("early" circumcision) is just strange; in the U.S., five would be considered "late" - more like five days - and most other places, it would be odd wording because you wouldn't expect a boy/man to ever get circumcised.
And why do you say you wanted circumcision to be done at all? This post is just kind of confusing - sorry.

[Smokering]

Becase of the sexual effects of circumcision, I do not think a boy can be fully informed until he's old enough to have experienced the sexual sensations of an intact penis. There's really no way a 5-year-old could properly comprehend what he would be giving up by circumcising, and I can't imagine how to appropriately have such a conversation with a young child! If your parents had asked you at age 5 if you were willing to have your clitoral hood removed due to infection, would you have been able to make a truly informed decision?

What PPs have said is correct - infection is no reason to circ, unless there are some extremely extenuating circumstances. I hope you can find a doctor who knows more about the foreskin! Please read up on the functions of the foreskin if you haven't already - it's worth saving!

[jeliphish]

infections are a part of life and his penis will heal. I wouldn't think there is absolutely any reason to circ him. Women can get infections easily in their vagina but no one would dare suggest mutilating our genitalia.

[Cheshire]

Mgracer, can you explain what you mean by he got sick???

My son had a UTI and I had three docs suggest we circ him. We'd gone through 4 rounds of antibiotics and no change. The last doc, a urologist, I took him too said that in countries where circ is not routine a recurrent infection is a reason to circ. I told him I didn't think this was recurrent, I believe that it was an infection we just haven't been able to clear up in the first place because my son's symptoms never got better. I know that when I've had a UTI and start antibiotics usually within 24 hours my symptoms clear up, his never did.

After posting about it here one momma suggested a different antibiotic. I told the urologist about it and after looking at the four urine culture results he agreed that it could be the same infection. He also agreed that we should try the other antibiotic for a four week course to try and clear it out completely because DS has had it for so long. Well, within 24 hours of the new antibiotic our DS felt so much better. It was like night a day for him.

No way would we circ over this. He's almost 5 and before all of this he had no idea what a circ was. He's never noticed a difference between himself and his dad. When each doc kept suggesting it we had to explain to him what the difference was. The other day in the tub he said "thanks, mom, for not letting them cut off my penis." I told him that it wouldn't have been his penis, but his foreskin, and that it was his body part to decide what to do with, not our choice and not the doc's choice. It felt nice to know that he is already attached to it (no pun intended).

We tried to find an intact friendly doc. The one I finally found wanted us to have a VCUG (a test involving catheterization - sp?) before he'd even see us. So, I just resigned myself to having to fight the fight and say "it's not an option" with a doc who would see us quickly without knowing his intact-friendly status.

You've come to the right place to gather more information to help protect your son from unnecessary surgery.

Best wishes.

[MommytoB]

Chesire- your so right everyone gets infections and some of us are with bacteria that make our infections less fixed with certain antibiotics when others could get it fixed.

I remember continously how doctors gave me amoxcillin every time i had gotten uti, the same thing was used for when I had a ear infection - they seemed to work for awhile but then the infection always came back which was bad!

So I got cipro drops for my ears and took a home rememdy meds uricalm and took cranberry tablets never once had a uti again.

[RunnerDuck]

My son had an infection when he was 3 or 4... I thought for sure the doc would suggest we circ him but she just gave us two scripts, one for a liquid oral med and one for a topical cream. She called the infection "balinitis" or something which I think is Latin for "your penis looks a little red."

I think the infection would have to be really extreme to warrent circing... like so extreme you wouldn't feel the need to ask if it was needed, you know?

[A&A]

There's never a good age to get your genitalia cut into/off.

[fruitful womb]

Originally Posted by Cheshire

When each doc kept suggesting it we had to explain to him what the difference was.

What a strange reason to circ. Which leads me to believe that every time a doctor sees intact male genitals there is a twinge of guilt for all the others he or she has circ'd so to cover up that guilt, s/he would need ALL male genitals to look like the birth defect Aposthia in order to feel better about what they've done.


Mgracer, the feeling I got from your post is that your ds's doctor is either uneducated about the integrity of the male prepuce or is feeling guilty for unnecessarily removing healthy body parts off her other male patients. This kind of logic: More wrongs to make it right, is behaving much like dishonest person who lies trying desperately to cover up their lies.

[eepster]

Did he take antibiotics when he was sick?

If yes, He probably has a yeast infection. Just treat it with monistat and feed him yogurt.

[Yulia_R]

Originally Posted by eepster

Did he take antibiotics when he was sick?

If yes, He probably has a yeast infection. Just treat it with monistat and feed him yogurt.

Our doctor who is vey holistic thinks that yogurt is not nearly enough when it comes to yeast. He said that while kids need to get around 10 billions a day, yogurts have only about a million.

[latinalonestar]

Originally Posted by Yulia_R

Our doctor who is vey holistic thinks that yogurt is not nearly enough when it comes to yeast. He said that while kids need to get around 10 billions a day, yogurts have only about a million.

Yeah, yeast is very stubborn and requires meds. But yogurt or another probiotic supplement can help restore the good bacteria. You can us OTC monistat or a prescription anti-fungal treatment.