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Originally Posted by busymomof5
Is actually a tightening of the foreskin around the penis which can be caused by infection or other illness like ... interestingly....diabetes....
Treatement usually does NOT involve circumcision in children...go check the medical literature, people. Phimosis is the word to describe the tightening of the foreskin and it usually goes away with time or treatment of the infection.
Phimosis does not equal CUT. http://www.nhhn.org/15704.cfm |
You have to realize that there are two forms of phimosis and I think many docs see only that first paragraph. When they see a tight foreskin on an infant or toddler, they diagnose phimosis and "if it's tight, the only way to loosen it is cut it off."
Just from the posts I have seen here in the years I have been here, this seems to be the level of information of a lot, if not most doctors. Check the sticky at the top of the forum titled "A Warning for Parents of Intact Sons" and you will see ample evidence of this.
Practically every baby boy is born with normal and natural developmental phimosis. It's the normal condition of 99%+ male neonates and as the penis develops, the normal adhesions between the foreskin and glans will disolve and the non-elastic constrictive tissue surrounding the foreskin opening will be naturally replaced with naturally elastic tissue. This is where many doctors run afoul. They diagnose this totally normal condition as pathological phimosis.
Pathological phimosis is a rare and abnormal condition. It is exclusively caused by infectious pathogens or physical trauma. It does not happen over night, it takes years to develop. We have had many mothers of boys less that 2 years come here in a panic because they have gotten a diagnosis of pathological phimosis when there has been no pathology and that's just not possible.
One significant problem is that many, if not most doctors erroneously believe that if a child's foreskin is not retractile by 3 YO, he has pathological phimosis even without pathology. In truth, it is not unusual for the child to have normal developmental phimosis that does not self resolve until after puberty.
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| Thanks...I think you hold the minority opinion though about me sticking around. |
Probably not! We are a tremendously welcoming community here but we are also of a common mind on a vast number of topics about circumcision. We have literally had thousands of men and women pass through the portals of this forum in the years I have been here.
There was a perception when you first posted here that since you are a doctor’s wife, you felt you had “special” information and had come here to impart it to the unwashed. You also came with the perceived attitude that you could change our sinful ways with warnings of lawsuits.
I have watched this forum develop over the last 4 years. When I first came here, nobody knew the difference between normal developmental phimosis and pathological phimosis. Nobody had heard of normal separation trauma or what to do about it. Nobody knew to demand a culture for a suspected infection. Nobody had a clue what frenulum breve, hypospadias/epispadias, chordee, adhesions, aposthia or many other things are. But, over that 4 years, we have painfully built a solid base of knowledge. This forum has become the “go to place” for accurate information and we draw members looking for help from at least 8 other sites Now, for you to come here and try to nullify the efforts and investment to get that knowledge and completely change what this board basically is? . . . Well, I guess you can understand that it will not be well received!
I remember when nationally known pediatrician, Dr. Jay Gordon came here and posted. Now, mind you that Dr. Gordon does not perform circumcisions and has been very public about it. He posted some things that were not accurate and he was corrected
It kind of set him aback but he maintained his composure and accepted that he was not as informed as he thought he was. He was certainly welcomed into the “family.”
When I first came here, I had a little information but didn’t try to force it. I patiently earned my stripes and built on my level of knowledge. At this point, I can push the boundaries a little bit but if I go too far, I certainly get called down. There is always someone watching me and someone always willing to counter my information. I try to take it with as much grace as I can muster. You might try the same approach. I’m sure you can become a much beloved member of the family just as hundreds of others have.
Frank
I will try to find it and post it later.
