Uncircumsized son has red rash on his penis

[Mai_Ong]

Hi,
I have a 5yo uncircumsized son with ASD.
When I checked his penis while sleeping, the inside (a portion) is bright red (not really rash), he doesn't look like he's in pain, i don't see him scratching too, he urinates regularly.
Could this be a symptom of some other disease? I haven't brought him to a doctor yet, he's very resistant going to hospitals/clinics.
Thanks

[Claire and Boys]

how do you mean, the inside? not sure what exactly you're referring to, if you mean the glans, it's supposed to be that colour. Can you be more specific?

[Night_Nurse]

Sometimes the inner part of the foreskin can be pinker than the outer and the glans (head) is often a dark pink-purple color and this is normal (pull your bottom lip down and look in the mirror at where it meets the gum and how it's darker than the outer lip).
If he's urinating just fine, has no fever, etc, I don't think you should worry about it. Messing with it can cause pain or problems so just best to leave it alone.
Have you read the foreskin separation thread? It describes normal looks & stages of boys with foreskin. It might help to answer some questions.

[eepster]

It's supposed to be red inside, that is perfectly normal.

I would avoid trying to retract him though, it can cause pain and damage. It can even result in paraphimosis, which is very dangerous and can lead to him needing a dorsal slit (not as bad as a circumcision, but still pretty bad.) If your Dr has been telling you to do this, then s/he needs to be informed that it is contrary to the APA statement on the subject. This site has some pamphlets you can print out http://www.nocirc.org/publish/.

[l_olive]

I'm not sure what ASD is, but I'm wondering why in the world you're checking your 5 year old's penis while he's sleeping?

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

If you mean the outside of the penis along the shaft or on the foreskin heat rash would be my guess. If you mean under the foreskin then it should be red there and like pp said you shouldnt be retracting to look under there at all.

[Anastasiya]

I'm guessing.

ASD = Autism Spectrum Disorders?

If he's not irritated by it, not scratching it, it isn't bothering him...then why did you check to begin with?

[Mai_Ong]

Claire: I am referring to the penis head. Since he is uncircumsized, I was referring to the inside portion that is exposed when the skin is pulled down.

Sancta: Yes, my son has ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). So he isn't capable of telling me of any pain/discomfort he's feeling.

I_Olive: I put diapers on him every night when he's already asleep, as he isn't toilet trained at night and I make it a habit to wipe/clean the outer skin with wet cotton balls from any urine residue, I sometimes pull the skin down to check for any signs of irritation or infection, because my son isn't capable of communicating well, he has Autism.

Eepster and Night Nurse: Thank you for the assurance that it is just normal.

If the penis is uncircumsized, isn't it proper to retract it a bit when washing ? Or are we supposed to leave it that way even when bathing? My husband told me that I should retract (pull some skin down) when washing it, but then he was circumsized since birth, so I am not really sure if it's just proper to be doing that.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Originally Posted by Mai_Ong

Claire: I am referring to the penis head. Since he is uncircumsized, I was referring to the inside portion that is exposed when the skin is pulled down.

Sancta: Yes, my son has ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). So he isn't capable of telling me of any pain/discomfort he's feeling.

I_Olive: I put diapers on him every night when he's already asleep, as he isn't toilet trained at night and I make it a habit to wipe/clean the outer skin with wet cotton balls from any urine residue, I sometimes pull the skin down to check for any signs of irritation or infection, because my son isn't capable of communicating well, he has Autism.

Eepster and Night Nurse: Thank you for the assurance that it is just normal.

If the penis is uncircumsized, isn't it proper to retract it a bit when washing ? Or are we supposed to leave it that way even when bathing? My husband told me that I should retract (pull some skin down) when washing it, but then he was circumsized since birth, so I am not really sure if it's just proper to be doing that.

No you should never retract to clean the penis this is what causes the problems to begin with. The only one to retract and clean under the foreskin should be the owner of the penis. A simple swish in the bath for your ds is all that is needed. You should read the sticky's here A Warning To Parents of Intact Sons and The Definition of Retraction and Why it is BAD. Found in the resources thread.

They used to tell parents that you should do this from birth and that caused infections and irritations that lead to them "needing" circed later. If the foreskin is left alone these things dont happen nearly as much.

[Mai_Ong]

^Thank you so much. Thanks that I found this site that talks about caring for uncircumsized boy. I live in a country where most babies are circumsized at birth. Thanks to you all for enlightening me.

[l_olive]

Thanks for clarifying Mai. I agree though, that you don't need to do that much to keep him clean. Is his foreskin completely retractable? Many 5 year old boys aren't.

[Mai_Ong]

I_Olive: I wouldn't know if it's completely retractable. The only times I (and the caregiver) pulled down the skin, I only do it to expose just the tip of the glan.
After reading other threads and getting familiar on how to care for an uncircumsized boy. I remember I have seen my son urinate and saw the skin "ballooning" before the urine went out. Does this mean his foreskin has become retractable?

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

It means that it is at least partially retractable. Ballooning only shows up when the process has started. Another thread you might find helpful http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=764732 it talks about what is normal and what is not and how to help if there is discomfort and when to do nothing.

[eepster]

Originally Posted by Mai_Ong

If the penis is uncircumsized, isn't it proper to retract it a bit when washing ?

After puberty (14 yo give or take a few years), retracting for a quick rinse becomes desirable, but till then you can just leave it even if he is fully retractable. If your DS isn't ready to start caring for himself at that point, you would probably start doing it. However, if he can shower him self, just instuct him to retract rinse and replace, no soap.

[tutucrazy]

Originally Posted by Mai_Ong

I_Olive: I wouldn't know if it's completely retractable. The only times I (and the caregiver) pulled down the skin, I only do it to expose just the tip of the glan.
After reading other threads and getting familiar on how to care for an uncircumsized boy. I remember I have seen my son urinate and saw the skin "ballooning" before the urine went out. Does this mean his foreskin has become retractable?

No ballooning is a sign that separation is happening but the opening is still narrow. The opening will widen over the course of puberty and the ballooning will disappear. Retraction can only occur after 2 things have happened 1. separation 2. widening of the opening. This usually happens before the end of puberty. My son balloons too it is normal and nothing to worry about. Here is a helpful thread that I wrote that describes the development of the intact boy:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...893&highlight=