HELP - Day Care has been retracting his foreskin!

[paula444four]

OMG I am horified! My day care provider just called me to say that DS has a "yeast infection" on the tip of his penis. Within our discussion she mentions that she retracts him periodically throughout the week. WHAT? First I feel like at terrible mother bc i obviously didnt explain it enough to her..that you DONT do that. Second I am worried that all this retracting has caused whatever infeciton is there. POOR GUY. What shoudl I do?

[phdmama06]

I'm so sorry! Have you shown the day care provider something like an intact care agreement? Maybe give them a copy of one of noncirc.org's intact care pamphlets? I have even heard of mothers with kids in daycares writing "My son is intact, do not retract" on the diapers they supply (or at least on the packaging) or putting something where their son's diapering supplies are stored. Unfortunately, a lot of people have no idea about intact care whatsoever and we have to be pretty assertive about telling them up front how to do it.

[paula444four]

thanks

i had a discussion with her...but it was a simple...you know how to care for uncirced right? dont do anything special...just ignore it. but obviously that wasnt enough. after visiting with her a few minutes ago...she was very apologetic...as was i for not spelling it out for her better. i just feel like i failed my son. im just disappointed in myself. hopefully he wasnt injured. i think he is naturally separating bc the shmegma is showing. she was thinking it was a yeast infection. but i kinda doubt it now. she said the head looked purple. is that normal? i dont want to retract to see it.

thanks again

[Picturesque]

Have you noticed any signs of trauma on is foreskin? Whether it's from the retraction or not, yeast infections are very common in both little boys and girls. Check out the foreskin issues sticky at the top of this forum for some good tips on treating it. Sorry about this unwelcome surprise. :

[alegna]

The head should be purple or dark red. Sounds normal.



-Angela

[phdmama06]

I'm glad you were able to have a talk with her and hopefully everything will be OK from now on! I'm not an expert yet (DS is only 7.5 months old) but smegma sounds like it might be the start of separation. And I'm told that in an intact boy the glans is supposed to be a darker reddish or purply color since it is covered up by the foreskin - anyone who knows more feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I have never seen my DS's glans, obviously!!

[titania8]

first- don't feel bad, sounds like you did say something to her, but apparently she didn't hear it the way you intended. im sure she will understand after you explain it again.

second- how does she know he has a YI? has she done a culture?

[carriebft]

This has some good info about separation process:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=764732

Intact care agreement:

http://www.mothersagainstcirc.org/care.htm

YOu can change it up a bit to fit the situation of day care provider.

[glongley]

The deep red or purplish look of the glans of an intact boy is the normal color; in itself it is not a sign of an infection.

Was she thinking yeast from seeing the normal whitish crumbs of baby smegma (accumulations of shed skin cells from the separation process)? She may be associating this with the type of cheesy discharge that females may get with a vaginal yeast infection. But more than likely a if she saw whitish stuff under his foreskin is was smegma, not necessarily yeast.

Gillian

[kxsiven]

Do not let the issue drop until you are 100% sure that they leave your son's penis alone. Take it all the way to the top.

There is absolutelu no reason why they should be touching your son's foreskin - just like there is no reason to put q-tip in little girl's vagina.

Reddish end of foreskin is totally normal.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

so sorry mama I am sure he will be fine as long as he is left alone from here on out.

Retraction like that can introduce bacteria and cause infection that is why it is such a bad thing to do. I would just keep a eye on him for now.