steroid cream Rx'd for unretractable foreskin in 3 yr old

[morganeldi]

My son just went for his 3 year visit and they checked to see if his foreskin was retractable. (ugh, not fun...) And it wasn't, so the Dr. Rx'd a steroid cream that I am to pull back his foreskin to apply twice a day to get it to be retractable.

I feel torn about this. First of all does anyone know if this is a good idea or not, normal or not? The Dr. told me that even though it's possible for foreskin to not be retractable until puberty they want to try and get it retractable to avoid possible infection which could lead to possible circumcision. In one way, I guess it's good to try and AVOID that needing to happen but I also feel like it's pretty invasive- especially right now as my ds is very sensitive and just recently potty learned...I feel like he may feel a little violated and I could see it leading to a regression in using the toilet. Also when we got home from the Dr and he went to pee he looked at his penis and started crying that there's a hole in it and he didn't want a hole in his penis... he was pretty traumatized by having the dr looking and talking about it, I guess...and I don't want him to feel like there's something wrong with his penis.

Any advice? Anyone use this cream for this reason and experience?

[Night_Nurse]

A three year old does not need to be retractable yet and he certainly doesn't need to use the steroid cream for this. Personally, I wouldn't even get the prescription filled. Your son sounds completely normal and he doesn't need to clean the head of his penis until his foreskin retracts (on it's own in given time).
He's not going to magically develop an infection because his foreskin is still attached but he might if a doctor or parent tries to manipulate it and accidentally causes tears in the skin.
Trust your gut instinct with this and just leave his penis alone.

And you might consider finding a new doctor. The one you have seems to know nothing about normal penile anatomy and development. Seriously.

[robertandenith]

Boys are not fully retractable until after puberty. It's like saying all girls will have their first period by their 11th year. All boys foreskin retraction will vary.

Also, no one should retract your boy's foreskin - it will cause tearing and future infections. Only the boy can do that to himself since he will know when to stop. Retraction is a sexual mechanism and it's much like masturbating them. bad bad move.

Please check this article
http://www.kindredmedia.com.au/libra...ractions/401/1

and this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIOP5EA8jd0

Steriod creams can only be applied to an adult. You need to educate your doctor and/or find another one. Just make sure he knows the correct info as he may be causing a lot of damage to many intact boys out there.

For more articles and videos go here:
http://www.asnatureintended.info/circumcision.html

[morganeldi]

thank you!!! I had a bad feeling about it. I will call the Dr. and talk about it, the sad thing is that this is a NEW Dr. that I just switched to because I really liked their "more natural" philosophy compared to old Dr. :/ sigh

[BlessedMommy2006]

Steroid cream? On a 3 year old? That's like giving an 8 year old girl supplemental female hormones because she hasn't started her periods or started breast development. Completely developmentally inappropriate.

No need to fill the prescription. Ironically, that doctor is so worried about infection, but the very thing that he asked you to do is going to promote infection. Unfortunately, many doctors look at the intact penis as if it were a bomb waiting to explode and feel like they need to do something to "help" it.

Please consider printing off appropriate literature showing that what he is doing is wrong. It could save other little boys from inappropriate and invasive treatment.

Good luck!

[Mamato3wild ponnie]

My MIL had 5 boys and non of them are circ'd...i asked her what she did....NADA..NOTHING///none of them had any problems...never...and my husband works great!
Treat it like a finger...wash it and...nothing more...it will do what it was made to do...when it is ready to do it!

[TCA2008]

The American Academy of Pediatrics states that the foreskin may not retract until the teenage years. I'd print out a copy (care of the uncircumcised penis) you should be able to find it on their website www.aap.org and highlight that section, send a note to everyone in the office, and request that it be put in your son's chart, and at every visit from now on politely start off by saying that according to the AAP, his foreskin may not retract until puberty, this is perfectly normal, and it should never be rushed or forced. Then make clear that you absolutely do not want anyone to touch his foreskin, period.
Unfortunately, it is up to us to educate all those doctors who never were educated about normal foreskin development.
if you can't find the AAP guidelines on their website, PM me and I'll send you a copy.

[Dev]

Originally Posted by morganeldi

My son just went for his 3 year visit and they checked to see if his foreskin was retractable. (ugh, not fun...) And it wasn't, so the Dr. Rx'd a steroid cream that I am to pull back his foreskin to apply twice a day to get it to be retractable........ Any advice? Anyone use this cream for this reason and experience?

Like so many physicians in the USA, yours is ill-advised and uneducated when it comes to the normal development of the male prepuce (foreskin). He is totally wrong.... by diagnosing and "treating" your son's NORMAL prepuce with forced retractions and steroid cream! Retracting your son's foreskin will most likely cause problems in addition to pain. I would not only find a more competent doctor, but file a complaint with the clinic and state licensing board for the harmful wrong treatment prescribed by your current doctor! As more and more parents leave their boys intact at birth, it seems more and more doctors are diagnosing little boys like yours with "problems" and their "treatments" are not only unnecessary but harmful. Many such treatments result in real problems and referrals for circumcisions! Holding U.S. doctors accountable and educating them is necessary to protect our country's little intact boys and the grown intact men they become. Good for you for asking for advice rather than go against common sense and your God given maternal instincts. Your little boy is fortunate to have you protecting him. Steroid cream and stretching of the prepuce should only be done on the few percentage of boys who are nonretractable AFTER completing puberty and only if the adolescent or young man wants his foreskin to retract fully at the given time. I have heard of some men not being fully retractable until their early twenties once they became sexually active. What the heck is the rush for your doctor to have your son retract before it's time? Your son and his body will determine when the time is right.

[Yulia_R]

3 yo does NOT need to be retractable. Steroid cream is for those who failed to retract after puberty. My son is 4 and is not even close to being retractable. TOTALLY NORMAL. Only 50% boys retract by the age of 10. Your ped had NO business to manipulate your son's foreskin and is obviously very ignorant about intact penises. If it were me, I'd find another doctor.

[Yulia_R]

Originally Posted by BlessedMommy2006

Steroid cream? On a 3 year old? That's like giving an 8 year old girl supplemental female hormones because she hasn't started her periods or started breast development. Completely developmentally inappropriate.

No need to fill the prescription. Ironically, that doctor is so worried about infection, but the very thing that he asked you to do is going to promote infection.

:

[Claire and Boys]

Yeah, and then what happens when this treatment causes infection? The doctor jumps straight to recommending a circumcision. They set up the problem by recommending interventions when the child is perfectly healthy and end up causing more problems than they remedy.

Make me sick, it really does...

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Please check out the following threads Warning To Parents Of Intact Sons
What the Dr. did is wrong he shouldnt have even been touching your ds penis at all. Their is no right age for retraction but the avg appears to be around 10yo. What the dr did was assault the equivalent of doing a vaginal exam on a girl that age : not OK in any way shape or form.

If your ds shows any signs of damage from this you need to tell the Dr about it and let him know that he opened himself up for legal action by causing harm to your ds.

[Dave2GA]

You need the Oster and Kayaba articles on foreskin retractability and progression that are found in the library section at www.cirp.org under normal anatomy. Your doc is very, very wrong. No need to even think about steroid creams until puberty has kicked in. Very, very few boys are retracaible at 3. They are not supposed to be in general.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

AAP Intact Care Guide, Intact Care Agreement should you decide to keep this Dr. I would give him the first one and make him read and sign the second. Either way I would be sure before any exam with this Dr. or any Dr. in the future before genital checks you tell them Not to touch his foreskin in any way. They may look at you like you have 2 heads BTDT but it keeps him safe and that is all that matters

Here is another one to print out and take Retraction Age
& This one is a printable PDF Just Leave It Alone
This is a good place to look for other resources http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/

[morganeldi]

Thank you all so much for all the advice and information. I am feeling really ashamed of myself for letting them check it in the first place. I was caught off gaurd and didn't know they were going to do it.

I'm going to print all the information you all listed here and give it to her (female doc-- actually 2 drs, one naturopath which is actually the one that checked it). I'm hoping that its just a case of them being truly uninformed, although I imagine they will give me reasons why this stuff doesn't apply to my ds or why they are right. In that case I guess I will probably look for another Dr.

Anyway, I'm very glad that I asked on here before proceeding with the cream and I will not be using it.

[Fellow Traveler]

Be sure to give them the opportunity to listen to the information. US doctors are often grossly misinformed so give them the benefit of the doubt and help them improve their practice. If they are firmly against the information you provide then it might be time to start looking for a new doc.

[morganeldi]

yes I guess my plan is to print all this stuff out and take it over there, with a note to call me after she's read it and discuss with me. I definitely want to give them the benefit of the doubt, especially since I just switched to this Dr and this was my first appointment with them, and I have heard really good things about them and their philosophies :/

[vulturemom]

Ds (now 17) was not retractable until he was between 7&8. It just happend on its own, no cream or others trying to pull it back for him. He has also never had an infection on his penis or any need to be circimsised.

I would leave him alone and send better info to your DR. next check-up tell them don't touch.

[Crunchy Frog]

Please contact these people. http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/

I wil quote from a post in another thread:

If this has already happened to your son or if you have to stop the doctor or nurse from forcibly retracting your son, you should take action. If this doctor or nurse does this to one intact child, they are doing it to all intact boys and you can be instrumental in protecting them and getting the word out to the entire medical profession. The typical doctor or nurse is unlikely to pay any attention to a mother instructing them on how to run their business but we have a powerful ally.

The attorney for Doctors Opposing Circumcision, John Geisheker, will send a letter to the doctor/nurse/hospital pro bono (free) on your behalf telling them what they did was wrong and the consequences. It isn't a letter stating you'll sue but it is fully referenced and ought to get their attention.

Email him at [e-mail]

Before you contact John, you will need the following information:

The name of the doctor or nurse who did this, the name of his/her practice and their (snail) mailing address.

The name of the hospital where the doctor has privileges, (the hospital where they practice) and the mailing address. (even if it didn’t happen at the hospital)

The name of the CEO or Administrator of the hospital. (even if it didn't happen in the hospital, find out where the offending doctor has privileges and send it to those hospitals)

The name of the hospital's risk manager.

The name of the head of the department (OB, peds, emergency, etc.)

Letters will also be sent to:

The state medical board in your state.

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (hospitals fear them like a boogeyman)

Hopefully the people in this office can be educated. If not, I hope you can find someone more competent and knowledgeable.

[Incubator]

I know you just posted today, but I'm subbing in hopes that you'll update us on the response of the Dr.
Luckily I've never had to take my DS to a Dr. but I'd like to be prepared if I ever do, and what I should do if the doc is not skin-friendly, or is skin-uninformed.