tip of penis raw UPDATE new question

[kristin0713]

I updated below in my new post...

Hi,
We are expecting company any minute and I don't have time to search through all the faqs and posts to see if this has been asked before. If you have any idea, please respond.

DS woke up this morning with the tip of his penis very red and raw. It was not oozing until just now when I changed him after his nap. It is so unbelievably raw, like an open wound. It does not seem to be bothering him AT ALL--not during a bath, or when I wiped it gently with a wet washcloth, or when I applied Aquafor on it. He is in cloth diapers, sometimes bamboo velor, sometimes fleece, sometimes suedecloth.

Is this cause for immediate concern? Is this an infection? When I saw the oozing just now I panicked. Oh, also, he is 11 months and his foreskin has not retracted yet.

[Fellow Traveler]

Originally Posted by kristin0713

Hi,
We are expecting company any minute and I don't have time to search through all the faqs and posts to see if this has been asked before. If you have any idea, please respond.

DS woke up this morning with the tip of his penis very red and raw. It was not oozing until just now when I changed him after his nap. It is so unbelievably raw, like an open wound. It does not seem to be bothering him AT ALL--not during a bath, or when I wiped it gently with a wet washcloth, or when I applied Aquafor on it. He is in cloth diapers, sometimes bamboo velor, sometimes fleece, sometimes suedecloth.

Is this cause for immediate concern? Is this an infection? When I saw the oozing just now I panicked. Oh, also, he is 11 months and his foreskin has not retracted yet.

If it isn't bothering him it isn't something to be immediately concerned about. It could be something like diaper rash and the 'oozing' is quite likely some smegma which often will appear like that when his foreskin begins the process of separation. I would say if he doesn't seemed bothered, just keep an eye on it.

[Limabean1975]

Use Google's image search and search "diaper rash" to see if anything looks familiar. Warning, there's some very gross and very upsetting pictures out there!

Sorry I can't offer more than that.

[Yulia_R]

Both of my kids reacted to fleece in diapers. Therefore, when my kids were still in diapers I had a very strict "no fleece" policy, not even as a cover. Only breathable diapers with wool cover (or no cover at home).

[thixle]

May sound silly, but...
Are you sure it's "raw?" The glans and inner foreskin can be a shockingly deep red/red-purple (like lips, inner cheeks, and inner eyelids). Most likely, he's began retracting a bit and you are simply seeing the inner foreskin or glans. And, most likely, the oozing is smegma.

An infection (bacterial or viral) would present with a fever. A yeast infection usually shows up after a round of antibiotics.

HTH

[kristin0713]

Thank you SO MUCH for the replies!

Are you sure it's "raw?" The glans and inner foreskin can be a shockingly deep red/red-purple (like lips, inner cheeks, and inner eyelids). Most likely, he's began retracting a bit and you are simply seeing the inner foreskin or glans. And, most likely, the oozing is smegma.

Ok, this is possible. When I say raw, I mean it really looks like an open wound. But he is not acting like I am touching an open would when I wipe it or put Aquafor on it. I also forgot to mention that the oozing has a pink tinge to it. It is not a lot, but enough that I noticed it on his diaper. Could retraction cause a little bleeding?

Both of my kids reacted to fleece in diapers.

I've heard this before, but I've had him in cloth since he was born and he hasn't had a problem with fleece at all. He also doesn't have a rash in any other area.

Thank you so much--I am off to google for some pictures, graphic as they may be. I am hesitant to call the doctor because, as you ladies know, they don't seem to be very knowledgeable about intact penis care.

[Yulia_R]

Originally Posted by kristin0713

Could retraction cause a little bleeding?

ABSOLUTELY! Bleeding, tears, infections...you name it. Retraction is a big NO-NO. The only person who should be allowed to mess with his foreskin is your son. Are you saying that someone (perhaps a doctor) retracted him recently?

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

It might be yeast. Sometimes cloth dipes need to be stripped to remove the yeasties.

Try some OTC yeast cream and see if it imporoves.

The only way you could see the tip of the glans is by retracting some, unless he has a very short foreskin. So to clarify it is the very tip of the foreskin not the glans right?

A helpful link you should look at http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=764732

[kristin0713]

Are you saying that someone (perhaps a doctor) retracted him recently?

no!! nobody has retracted him. (a doctor attempted to at his 4 month visit but that was several months ago) the earlier post said i could be seeing the glans if he is retracting a bit. actually what i am wondering now is if it started to retract from wearing a super stuffed diaper and squirming around in it? maybe the diaper really rubbed against him and pushed some of the foreskin back? it is the very, very tip, but kind of inside, so maybe it is the glans??
off to read that other thread.

[WhiteDog]

Could be soap buildup in the diapers causing irritation. Try stripping your dipes really, really well and giving him plenty of air time.

[eepster]

Have you been on any long car trips? It coul be from the carseat belt that goes between his legs rubbing.

Diaper free time is usually good for these things.

[latinalonestar]

Put him is sposies until it heals! This way your cloth doesn't become contaminated if there is any flora imbalance.

My guess is that it has something to do with the retraction incident, which is why a doctor should never manipulate a foreskin. Also remember that the inner foreskin is normally reddish. Just give him some time to heal and put him in sposies for now.

[kristin0713]

Ok, so it is definitely his night-time diaper causing the foreskin to separate.

Two nights ago I put him in a sposie and in the morning he was completely back to normal. I put him in cloth all day and he did not have any issues. Last night, I put him in his night diaper again and this morning he had the same issue as before but now I can see that it is the foreskin separating and the glans coming out. Again, he doesn't seem bothered by this but I don't like the fact that the diaper is causing it as opposed to it separating naturally.

It is very obvious to me that this is not a rash and not a reaction to fleece or detergent or anything. I also don't think it is from the incident at the doctor, that was about 7 months ago and I haven't noticed any separation since then.

So my question is, well, this might be obvious but I guess I need to find another night time solution?? I have him in a GAD semi-fitted pocket, stuffed with MT and hemp, and a GAD fleece cover. He is a heavy wetter so no matter what, I am going to have to stuff his diap a lot so I am not sure what to do. I've had him in these diapers since birth and no issues until now...and he has been mobile since 5-6 months so I'm not sure what the deal is. Has this happened to anyone else?

[Cheshire]

If I were you and couldn't find a cloth diaper solution I'd just go with a disposable at night. I agree, I don't like the idea of the bulky diaper causing the problem.

Glad you figured it out!

[latinalonestar]

Originally Posted by kristin0713

Ok, so it is definitely his night-time diaper causing the foreskin to separate.

Two nights ago I put him in a sposie and in the morning he was completely back to normal. I put him in cloth all day and he did not have any issues. Last night, I put him in his night diaper again and this morning he had the same issue as before but now I can see that it is the foreskin separating and the glans coming out. Again, he doesn't seem bothered by this but I don't like the fact that the diaper is causing it as opposed to it separating naturally.

It is very obvious to me that this is not a rash and not a reaction to fleece or detergent or anything. I also don't think it is from the incident at the doctor, that was about 7 months ago and I haven't noticed any separation since then.

So my question is, well, this might be obvious but I guess I need to find another night time solution?? I have him in a GAD semi-fitted pocket, stuffed with MT and hemp, and a GAD fleece cover. He is a heavy wetter so no matter what, I am going to have to stuff his diap a lot so I am not sure what to do. I've had him in these diapers since birth and no issues until now...and he has been mobile since 5-6 months so I'm not sure what the deal is. Has this happened to anyone else?

I'd stick with the sposies at night.

I do want to tell you about my situation b/c I think it will give you a heads up in case this happens to your ds... My ds was manipulated at his 3 mo WBV. At 10 months of age he experienced premature separation. The initial manipulation started the process and released some of the attachment. Then all the sudden at 10 months the entire foreskin separated prematurely. This was very painful for my ds b/c the urine was passing over freshly separated glands. After about 4 days the burning stopped but it was EXTREMELY painful until then. Premature separation is much more uncomfortable than normal separation b/c it happens all at once and before the opening has had the opportunity to widen. Now my son has a nice size balloon (which is fine) and it doesn't bother him. Ballooning is a normal phase but in my son's case it just came a little sooner thanks to the early manipulation. This is just one example of how even months later there can be complications from early manipulation.

I'm glad you have found the problem.
Cheers,
Jen