Question (infection, doctor saying circ may be required)

[bubbalooX4]

Hi mamas,
I'm the mama of 2 intact boys.
Last year, my first son had an infection in his penis.. Near the base and underneath was almost bruised looking. The doctor we dealt with was very nice and said that it wasnt due to him being intact - that both intact and cut men can get this infection. (I cant remember the name of it .. hydro something?) Anyways.. They gave him antibiotics and it went away. My son is now almost 2.. and yesterday I noticed he was looking swollen and slightly bruised again. I left it and he started to tell me that it was sore and that it hurt. (Its not sore when he urinates) I took him to the emerg today. The doctor there picked his penis up gently and very gently tried to retract the foreskin - he showed no discomfort at all so I knew that she wasn't using too much force. When she did this a bunch of light green colored puss came out. She did a swab and told me that he might need to be circumcised because she wasn't able to retract the foreskin easily.. I then told her that I knew the foreskin wasn't always retractable in infants/toddlers and that I knew that wasn't a reason for circumcision, that I didn't believe it was a necessary procedure and that the doctor that we had seen previously for the same reason never once mentioned circumcision. I need any information you might have for me about this situation. We are going to go see a urologist and see what he has to say. Sorry this is so long.. thank you for reading if you made it this far!

[Lauren82]

Originally Posted by bubbalooX4

The doctor we dealt with was very nice and said that it wasnt due to him being intact - that both intact and cut men can get this infection.

If both intact and circumcised men can get the infection, what sense would it make to circumcise him?

Here is some information from Doctors Opposing Circumcision that discusses retraction:

http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcisi...q.html#anchor3

[Super~Single~Mama]

Can you go back to the Dr that saw him for the same thing last year?

Thats what I would do, if at all possible.

[bubbalooX4]

Originally Posted by Lauren82

If both intact and circumcised men can get the infection, what sense would it make to circumcise him?

Here is some information from Doctors Opposing Circumcision that discusses retraction:

http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcisi...q.html#anchor3

Exactly. But the doctor that we saw today didn't seem to pay much attention to that when I said we had been told that previously.

I was called about an hour ago , the swab was negative, so no infection.

I'm still confused but I feel better knowing there's no infection.. it just makes no sense because there is puss present.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Smegma can have a green appearance sometimes. Have you read this thread http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=764732 Since there is no infection why are you taking him to the urologist? I honestly dont see the point since you are probably just going to hear more circ talk.

[BunnySlippers]

If it was any other part of his body that was infected, the Dr would offer anti-biotics, not anti-biotics AND chopping off the infected part.

I would go back to the origional Dr you saw if possible.

[mama2soren]

Originally Posted by MCatLvrMom2A&X

Smegma can have a green appearance sometimes. Have you read this thread http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=764732

This is what I was going to post. Did the "discharge" have that distinctly infected smell? If it was odorless it almost certainly was smegma.

Good for you for standing up for your little boy. Thinking about doctors who know so little about normal genitalia (ie: thinking that such a young child should be retractable) yet believe themselves to be qualified enough to recommend surgery on said genitalia makes me want to

[eepster]

It is completely normal for a 2 yo to not be retractable. The Dr shouldn't have been testing it, that can lead to many problems, such as irritation, paraphimosis or infection.

The "pus" was smegma. It is a normal secretion, that both intact men and women make.

If this thing looks like a bruise, maybe he bruised it. has he started using the toilet? Could he have slammed the lid on it? Does he ride a bike/trike, could he have sat down on the bar? Can you think of any time he has injured that region recently?

[calngavinsmom]

Hi there! I just wanted to chime in and add that 2 is wayyy too young to say a boys foreskin is too tight. My older son was 4 before he was able to retract and my younger son is six and still isn't retracting fully. It's normal.

How is your son feeling now? If it has resolved, it could have just been the foreskin separating from the glans that caused his irritation. It is normal for them to have a discharge (smegma) during this developmental phase.

The doc who mentioned circumcision is wacko. No wonder there are so many horror stories about boys needing to be circed "later" if a perfectly normal non-retractile penis is going to set off alarm bells. Sheesh!

I would be cautious if you take him to a urologist too. They are surgeons and make their living by cutting. A friend of mines' son had surgery for an undescended testicle when he was three and while he was under, he forcibly retracted him and instructed his parents to retract him twice a day and put numbing cream on him. Poor little guy was in so much pain both from his surgery site and to top it off on his poor torn up penis! Doctors aren't always up to date on the latest info.

I am very lucky with our doc. She said to us when our first was born that she has never seen a problem with a foreskin that a little polysporin didn't fix. She has never tried to retract them or really manipulate their penis' in any way.

Here is an article that might be helpful to you:
http://www.mothering.com/health/prot...advice-parents

Best of luck to you!

[eepster]

Originally Posted by calngavinsmom

She said to us when our first was born that she has never seen a problem with a foreskin that a little polysporin didn't fix.

Polysporin (neosporin) has a very high rate of causing reactions when used on genitals, and it is usually best to avoid them. If an antibiotic cream is needed bactatrin should be used. However, it is important to rule out a yeast infection before using any antibacterials.

[Lula's Mom]

Just chiming in to say that when my son was 3 and became retractable, his penis got red, sore and discharged some smegma.  It was quite green, and if I hadn't heard that smegma could be that color, I'd have thought it was pus. But voila! - a few days later, he showed me that he could retract.  There may be some separation going on for your son, OP.