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How exactly do i retract DS?

post #1 of 38
1/14/10 at 1:26pm
Thread Starter 
My little guy is 6 months old. At every physical our pediatrician GENTLY pulls on his foreskin to see if it is starting to un-adhere. Before he did it the first time he explained to me that he would not forcefully retract him, but every once in a while its important to check and see if it is retracting so that when it does retract i will know and be able to clean it correctly. So, i felt OK with that.

Anyway, i didnt expect him to be retractable until much older. But, at his 6 month check his pedi was able to move his foreskin pretty far up. It didnt hurt DS at all, there was no blood, and DS didnt even seem to notice it was done. This makes me think that it really was ready to be retracted.

So since then when i have given him baths I've tried to pull it back slightly and nothing happens. Maybe its because he is all slippery from the soap/water? Should i really try and retract it every time now? I really didnt notice how the pediatrician was doing it - whats the "technique?" Maybe I'm just not pulling it back correctly. When the pedi did it your could def see a lot of his meatus and i just havent been able to do it when i've gently tired.

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post #2 of 38
1/14/10 at 1:29pm
The only one who should retract your son is your son. No one else should touch it! That "Dr." knows NOTHING of the care of the intact penis. Most aren't retractable til the teen years.

I don't have the link right now to the care of an infant's intact penis right now, or I'd share it.
post #3 of 38
1/14/10 at 1:34pm
DON'T! retract him. My son is almost 6 and not retracted. Totally normal and it will happen gradually. You will actually cause infection by cleaning up under there...that is the reason it is there! Just wipe the outside like you would a finger. That is all that's necessary.
post #4 of 38
1/14/10 at 1:36pm
Thread Starter 
I know its normal to not be retracted at 6 months - but if the foreskin isnt adhered anymore cant bacteria get in there if I'm not retracting him and cleaning during baths?
post #5 of 38
1/14/10 at 1:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ErinsJuneBug View Post
I know its normal to not be retracted at 6 months - but if the foreskin isnt adhered anymore cant bacteria get in there if I'm not retracting him and cleaning during baths?
Letting it soak in the bath should be fine.
post #6 of 38
1/14/10 at 1:46pm
I've never heard of a foreskin naturally retracting for an infant. It sounds like the doctor has gradually caused manual retraction. Bathing should be fine.

I have 6 younger brothers and only one started to retract early around his 4th birthday. It was simple to teach him to clean himself.

We women all have our hoods and we don't retract our little girls right?
post #7 of 38
1/14/10 at 1:47pm
Just think of it like a girl. You wouldn't be douching an infant girl, right? There is no reason to mess with it at all, jsut leave it alone.
post #8 of 38
1/14/10 at 1:48pm
Thread Starter 
The pedi really didnt do it forcefully, and has only dont it 3 times - newborn, 2 months, 4 months (where it didnt move at all), and now at 6 months it move a good deal.
post #9 of 38
1/14/10 at 1:50pm
Thread Starter 
Then what is the difference between an adult who can get bacteria under his foreskin and an infant that can? If his foreskin isnt adhered and he is in diapers i would think he would be at an increased risk for infections.
post #10 of 38
1/14/10 at 1:53pm
Here is a link on how to care for an intact penis:

http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcisi...iansguide.html
post #11 of 38
1/14/10 at 1:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ErinsJuneBug View Post
Then what is the difference between an adult who can get bacteria under his foreskin and an infant that can? If his foreskin isnt adhered and he is in diapers i would think he would be at an increased risk for infections.
Do you retract your hood everytime you bathe?
post #12 of 38
1/14/10 at 2:24pm
The foreskin of a young child is designed to keep the ooky stuff OUT. The double muscle layer in the tissue makes the foreskin fits very snugly so nothing is going to seep in, unless the foreskin were smooshed open in the diaper. Also the muscle around the opening is in a circular formation which makes it act like a sphincter, which closes the outlet up tightly after each void. In fact, every time he pees, he's flushing the opening outward with sterile urine, which also helps keep itself clean. You should also realize that the area underneath the foreskin has cells and substances in it which are part of the immune system, and actually help fight off infection. In short, the foreskin is very well designed to take care of itself, and it is always going to do its protective job best when left undisturbed.

The advice to try to retract infants is based on old misconceptions, first about the age at which the foreskin should normally be retractable (its now know that the average age at full retractability is about age 10), and second, that if you don't clean under the foreskin regularly, "he'll have terrible infections." The latter probably comes in part from the Victorian period when anything to do with the sex organs was considered filthy, and also through a lack of understanding of normal variations that may occur with the foreskin, like redness from diaper rash, or transitory swelling that relates to separation of the foreskin, rather than from a true bacterial infection. While some doctors still recommend retracting as early as possible, many others (including the AAP), recommend leaving the foreskin alone until the boy is able to manage retracting and rinsing for himself. Most sources say that when they're little, all that's needed is washing off the outside, and that when the boy is 4-5 he can learn to retract, rinse, and replace the foreskin himself (if he's retractable of course). That way the natural protective capacities of the foreskin are left undisturbed, and there is no risk that someone will try to retract the boy too forcefully, causing pain or trauma. In any case, most sources say that only an occasional (say weekly) rinse underneath is all that's needed in childhood (if retractable and the boy does it himself). One Canadian pediatric urologist has even been quoted as saying that "there's no evidence that there's any need to clean under the foreskin before puberty"!

Gillian
post #13 of 38
1/14/10 at 2:25pm
You don't. And you don't allow the ped to do it again either.

He himself should be the first one to retract his foreskin. The only thing that retracting it at this age will do is to bring pathogens into the area.

Doc needs to be educated. You should contact these guys for help. http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/
post #14 of 38
1/14/10 at 2:36pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you guys!!! ESPECIALLY Gillian!
post #15 of 38
1/14/10 at 3:55pm
Have you read the sticky The Definition & Why it is BAD. It is in resources and tells why the Dr. should never even touch the foreskin let alone push around on it.

Bottom line the most important rule of taking care of the intact penis is never retract and never let anyone else do so. Only the owner of the penis is allowed to mess with it.

The intact penis is like the vagina it is self cleaning and a simple swish in the bath will remove anything that needs removing.
post #16 of 38
1/14/10 at 5:33pm
Don't retract!!! The doctor has no business doing so. Neither do you! The doctor is supposed to check to see if the baby's testicles are descended, no other exam in the genital area is necessary or even advised.
post #17 of 38
1/15/10 at 5:30am
Yes to all of the PP. The doctor had NO business doing he was doing. Trying to retract a baby boy (and that was exactly what he was doing) could lead to the foreskin getting trapped behind the glans (paraphimosis).

Only external cleaning is needed at this age. If the boy can't do the cleaning himself, it is not needed.
post #18 of 38
1/15/10 at 8:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ErinsJuneBug View Post
I know its normal to not be retracted at 6 months - but if the foreskin isnt adhered anymore cant bacteria get in there if I'm not retracting him and cleaning during baths?
It's not really a problem. Technically grown men only need to retract for cosmetic reasons. It takes care of itself. DOn't sweat it. Let him soak in the tub if you're worried. It will gradually loosen on it's own long before he needs to use it. If it doesn't move easily, it shouldn't be moving. Your doc probably squeezed the glans to pull back the foreskin. It probably didn't do any damage, but you're better off just leaving it alone.
post #19 of 38
1/15/10 at 12:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ErinsJuneBug View Post
I know its normal to not be retracted at 6 months - but if the foreskin isnt adhered anymore cant bacteria get in there if I'm not retracting him and cleaning during baths?
The simple answer is NO. The opening is a sphincter and only relaxes to let urine out, unless you are manipulating him yourself. Manipulating his foreskin in the bath is a primary cause of UTI. You need to leave him alone, the foreskin is self-cleaning. Please ask your Dr to STOP doing that. There is no reason to view the amount of retraction. Retraction is a sexual function. Trying to hurry it along is akin to trying to break the hymen of a baby girl. Only clean what is seen and avoid using soaps on the genitals at they can cause an imbalance of the natural flora.

Please read this and all the links:
http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1176109
post #20 of 38
1/15/10 at 12:58pm
your doctor is plain wrong. it's so sad that most medical professionals in the US are so uneducated about the issue.
if i were you, I'd make sure to tell the doctor very clear that he is not to touch your son's penis ever again.
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Mothering › Mothering Discussion Forums › Health › Circumcision › How exactly do i retract DS?