8 month old with inverted penis

[McGucks]

Our 8 month old son has what we have been told is an inverted penis.  It basically looks like a belly button, though it looks like a typical penis when you gently push the shaft back (he is circumcised).  Our pediatrician said that it is NOT, as we first thought, due to a botched circumcision; instead; he said it is due to his weight (he is 75% for height and 99% for weight--I think he's about 25 pounds).  He was exclusively breastfed until 6.5 months and only eats minimal whole foods, so his weight is not a nutrition issue.  We have been reassured that once he is a wild crawling guy, the weight will drop off and the fat pad which (supposedly) causes the appearance of an inverted penis will correct itself, but I am still kind of worried.  Please let me know if you have any experiences with this and, if so, when the situation resolved (if it did).  Thank you!  note:  a doctor's input was as follows:  "Retraction of the penis is a common and normal phenomenon.  It has more to do with body build than any disorder of the penis.  It usually occurs in chubby babies or in older males who are overweight and have a large abdomen and thickened area of fat in the pre-puberal area (lower abdomen).  It is most obvious in the sitting position.  It has nothing to do with the size or function of the penis.  In older boys or men, getting in shape and proper dieting usually results in lessening of the abdominal fat and the situation corrects itself.  In the meantime, it is very important when bathing to expose the entire penis and wash it well before allowing it to retract again."  By the way--I do know the difference between excessive scarring/malformation from circumcision vs. a more typically retracted penis.  I am really just looking for other mommas who have had children with this condition.

p.s.:  Editing this one again--to all the folks who said this was a side effect of circumcision...we have some lovely nakey pictures of our son when he was very young (under a month)--before he put on lots of beautiful weight from breastfeeding.  His penis had a completely typical circumcised appearance.

Edited by McGucks - 12/4/10 at 6:38pm

[philomom]

This is called buried penis and it is common side effect of circumcision. The issue should correct itself in time. If not, a qualified urologist may know of a procedure to help him.

[alegna]

Yeah, it's a circumcision side effect.  I knew a little boy with this as an infant and now he's preschool age and it has "fixed" itself.

It's very common with circumcision and nearly unheard of in intact boys.

-Angela

[Oliver'sMom]

nak

like pp have mentioned, it's a side effect from his circumcision.  since the glans or head of the penis is naturally supposed to be covered and protected by the foreskin, your son's body is trying to heal itself in a way by protecting his penis with whatever skin he has left.  does that make any sense?

try not to push his shaft back anymore. this could cause more harm than good.  his body is doing what it needs to do, and his inverted penis will "correct" itself in time.

[hakeber]

I do not have experience with this, but my friend had her son circumcized and I have babysat for wee ones who were circumcized and it is normal. My friend's little boy's penis still retracts into his lower abdomen at about age 5, especially when it is cold or exposed to air, which makes sense.  The head is so covered in nerve endings I suppose it would be like having a really bad cavity exposed to a cold blast of air or when you accidentally get a little bit of tinfoil in your food and it hits a filling...YIKES!  Could be that in his diaper your little guy's penis is out and about but as soon as you take it off...YEOW  the little guy goes running for cover.

I don't know why you need to push the shaft back to clean it unless there is maybe a poop explosion and it goes everywhere.  I mean the penis IS designed to be covered by a protective layer of skin, so this seems pretty strange and tantamount to the advice moms of uncut boys get to retract the foreskin (OUCH!) to wash the penis which is really poor medical advice given by doctors frequently in countries where circumcision is common place. In fact this stems mostly from ignorance of uncircumcized penises and can cause major infections leading to a NEED for a circumcision. I wouldn't be inclined to wash under the foreskin any more than I would be to give my 10 month old daughter a vaginal douche ya know what I mean?

But to answer your question, yes it is normal, and yes, his penis probably will come out eventually.  I don't think it's anything to worry about.  Does it come out in  warm bath?

[McGucks]

It doesn't ever come out unless I've gently pushed the surrounding skin/fat pad back, which pops it out.  At that point, everything looks like a typical little dude.  He is healthy in every way, so I am not overly concerned.  Thanks for the note!

[McGucks]

p.s.:  Updating this one again--to all the folks who said this was a side effect of circumcision...we have some lovely nakey pictures of our son when he was very young (under a month)--before he put on lots of beautiful weight from breastfeeding.  His penis had a completely typical circumcised appearance.

[Peony]

http://www.drgreene.com/azguide/inconspicuous-penis 

[MeepyCat]

Caedenmomma, my DS had a fairly persistent buried penis too.  The condition is by no means unheard of in uncircumcised males.  DS is three and a half now, and it's resolved, but before it did we spoke to a urologist a bit.  The general recommendation is not to mess with this problem surgically unless it persists for *far* longer (think 8-10 years).  The surgical procedure suggested to us was liposuction.  We decided to leave the issue alone, and as I say, it has now resolved.  Personally, I think it has more to do with build than with weight.  DS is a very active, very muscular kid, he's just chubby in that one spot.

We did pop it out (by gently pressing on the fat pad on either side) and clean it at bathtime, the way you'd clean a finger.  Basically we were just wiping off an area that got peed on a lot, and where sweat and lint and so on tended to collect and chafe.

[Ann-Marita]

Originally Posted by caedenmomma 

p.s.:  Updating this one again--to all the folks who said this was a side effect of circumcision...we have some lovely nakey pictures of our son when he was very young (under a month)--before he put on lots of beautiful weight from breastfeeding.  His penis had a completely typical circumcised appearance.

It can take a while (sometimes even decades) for the side effects of circumcision to show up.  And like a pp said, this (a buried penis) isn't unheard of in natural males (usually associated with obesity), it is much more common in circ'ed ones.  Chances are that it will resolve itself with time. 

[JBaxter]

Originally Posted by philomom 

This is called buried penis and it is common side effect of circumcision. The issue should correct itself in time. If not, a qualified urologist may know of a procedure to help him.

Agreeing... BTDT here.  It was one of my reasons not to circ any of my other boys.   It does resolve itself eventually.

[Kings Mom]

My son who is now almost 3 has had this same problem since a newborn after cirumcission. MeepyCat described it well. Doctor said it will go away when he is older. He is not overweight, he is in about the 70th percentile in weight and height. I pull the sides back gently and wash it at bath time. It has been a bit of an issue with potty training but nothing that is unbareable. It's comforting to know that my son is not alone with this. I pray for him that it goes away in the next couple years!

[rachael07]

Regarding pushing back the shaft, YES, you MUST push back the foreskin regularly to promote proper healing. If you don't, the circumcised tissue could adhere back to the head. (Google "penile adhesions" for info). It is very important to regularly pull back the skin of a circumcised baby until the circumcision is completely healed. Additionally, to be clear, there is no part of the brain that enables a baby to purposefully retract their own head into into the foreskin to "protect" itself. Please do not recommend medical stuff if you don't know the medical background of what you are talking about.

Really, folks, this has nothing to do with circumcision. (How would you even know how the head of the penis is naturally resting relative to where the circumcision "would be" an an uncircumcised baby?!).

The penis head of our DS regularly shifts in and out of the inverted position. It just depends on how he's sitting. Does is ever come out fully? As long as you are able to retract the foreskin around the penis head, all is good. If you cannot retract the foreskin easily, contact your doctor ASAP about penile adhesions.
 

Originally Posted by Oliver'sMom 

nak

like pp have mentioned, it's a side effect from his circumcision.  since the glans or head of the penis is naturally supposed to be covered and protected by the foreskin, your son's body is trying to heal itself in a way by protecting his penis with whatever skin he has left.  does that make any sense?

try not to push his shaft back anymore. this could cause more harm than good.  his body is doing what it needs to do, and his inverted penis will "correct" itself in time.

[alegna]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rachael07 

Regarding pushing back the shaft, YES, you MUST push back the foreskin regularly to promote proper healing. If you don't, the circumcised tissue could adhere back to the head. (Google "penile adhesions" for info). It is very important to regularly pull back the skin of a circumcised baby until the circumcision is completely healed. Additionally, to be clear, there is no part of the brain that enables a baby to purposefully retract their own head into into the foreskin to "protect" itself. Please do not recommend medical stuff if you don't know the medical background of what you are talking about.

Really, folks, this has nothing to do with circumcision. (How would you even know how the head of the penis is naturally resting relative to where the circumcision "would be" an an uncircumcised baby?!).

The penis head of our DS regularly shifts in and out of the inverted position. It just depends on how he's sitting. Does is ever come out fully? As long as you are able to retract the foreskin around the penis head, all is good. If you cannot retract the foreskin easily, contact your doctor ASAP about penile adhesions.
 

Everything intact-friendly I've ever read says to leave adhesions alone in circed kids and they will release around puberty, the same as they would have if they weren't circed.

-Angela

[rajahkat]

My youngest has this.  He is NOT circed, all four of my boys are intact.  But man, he is a fat little thing!  He just turned one.  I'm not concerned about it. :) 

[rachael07]

The adhesions in intact babies are different than in circumcised babies. In circumcised babies, the adhesion occurs because two *cut* edges of tissue fuse back together. This happened to our son, as a result of the doctor failing to inform us about proper circumcision care. Thankfully my husband noticed that the foreskin was retracting less and less as time went on. I was terrified of the recommended correction -- we had to gently peel back the fused skin after a bath. Despite the fact that the two sides were already growing together (we had to tug it apart multiple times), DS was not bothered in the slightest by this. I am so thankful that my husband caught the problem before the adhesions became painful. Now we know, and I try to tell everyone I know: proper care of a circumcision is to pull back the remaining foreskin at every diaper change and swab in a little vaseline so that the two cut edges do not form adhesions. Once it heals properly (which DS's finally did after two or three weeks of care), the extra attention is not needed any more.

I couldn't say whether the adhesions would "correct" themselves over time, although it is difficult to imagine how that would be possible... the issue with the circumcised boys is that the cut ends of the tissue actually totally fuse back together and heal completely, and the only way I can imagine that being correct is with a good deal of pain. So it is much better to deal with the issue before the skin grows back together too much.

Here are some stories... see the comment section:

http://www.babycenter.com/400_do-penile-adhesions-heal-themselves-over-time_2380763_451.bc

Originally Posted by alegna 

Quote:

Everything intact-friendly I've ever read says to leave adhesions alone in circed kids and they will release around puberty, the same as they would have if they weren't circed.

-Angela

[AshFL17]

Caedenmomma,

    My son is 4 months old and has exactly what you have described.  He is circumsized, but did not develop this inverted penis until he was over 2 months old, prior to that he was perfectly normal.  My son is also not overweight.  At his last pediatrician appt, he was only in the 25th percentile, he was born 4 weeks early and only weight 5 pounds 13 oz.  He has nearly doubled his weight, but he is still behind...so I am not really sure if weight is what causes it.  I asked the dr. at the last appointment about it, and she said it was fine...there was a technical name that I cannot recall, but that it is nothing to worry about.  I am, however, curious like you on how long it will take to correct itself.  Until then, I would just continue to clean by pulling the shaft back (which is what I also do).

[MaerynPearl]

Men put on weight (this includes baby boys) in the mound surrounding the penis first and foremost. Since their penis is connected to the pelvis, the penis does not move out further as fat is added. In a fully grown male, they add an inch there for every 35 pounds, to the point that a man can have the same issue if he is extremely obese.

So, if your son is large for his height (which 75 and 99 sounds like) its likely just because he's a chubby baby with a baby penis. I wouldn't worry about it as long as you aren't worrying about his weight, as he gets bigger and loses the weight it will go away.

[KempsMama]

Both my boys had this, in my oldest it resolved itself around 1.5 years old. 

[jerri1985ann]

I'm not sure if this will be read, but I wanted to add that my eldest son (whom is now 8yrs old) has had an "inverted penis" since birth. His first pediatrician said the same he would grow out of it, it was due to weight, and so did the second and the third. Although by time he was 6 he began to not allow me to clean it and said it hurt all the time, so we saw a urologist and he said the circumcision was fine but he did have a lot of "underskin" so we had some of that removed and havent had a problem with infection or soreness since. It is however sensitive, as should be.