Humor me please.

[bnhmama]

So I've done my research and I know it's perfectly fine but please reassure me that it's OK that my 5 y/o ds doesn't yet retract. To be honest, it's been a few years since I did any *real* reading on the subject (other than some threads on this board) and I kind of just forgot about it. (B/C it's perfectly fine! ) But I'm a mama and it's in my contract to worry. So... Having read that 90% of boys are naturally retracted by age 5, what's happening w/ that other 10% and is there anything I should be watching for?

Also, ds was never really one to mess with his penis, except a handful of times. I'm wondering if this isn't why he hasn't really retracted yet...

[alegna]

Not sure where you got the 90%... I don't think that's accurate.

It's fine. It's normal. No worries.

-Angela

[bnhmama]

Sorry-got it from an article quoted in one of the threads here. Should have read further. It's a misquote.

[Frankly Speaking]

There have been about a half dozen studies or more addressing the time of retraction. The first found that 2/3 of boys are retractile by 3 years old. Another found that 70% are not retractile until after puberty. The one that appears to be most accurate says the average time of retraction is 10.5 years old.

About 1% will go through their teen years and still not be retractile. The reason for this is unknown but may be associated with forcible retraction as an infant that caused damage to the foreskin opening. 99% of these men are able to resolve the situation with some simple stretching exercises over a period of a few weeks.


Frank

[tuansprincess]

My dh says that he didn't retract until he was a teen. (don't tell him I told you that )

No worries - your ds is fine.

[Mosaic]

I agree with everyone else.... that's normal. Folks I know retracted around 9-12 yrs old.

[bnhmama]

Thanks for the info! Nice to know my baby's body is doing exactly what it's supposed to do.

[glongley]

You already got the right answers and support you were looking for. But if you want some more background information, read the link below about what is known about the normal process leading to retractablity. It explains where the erroneous info of "90% retractable by age 5" came from (Gairdner study), and all the other studies that have been done since then which show about an average age to full retractability of age 10.

http://www.cirp.org/library/normal/

Gillian

[Dave2GA]

Our eldest did not fully retract until 8 and 1/2. Our youngest was still partially adherent at 10 and 1/2, the last time I looked. Both are now normal adults. Their cousin was fully retractable at 4 and would run around showing how a foreskin worked. All are normal. Your son is too. I would begin to be concerned if the foreskin were not free by 18, but I know one man who was not fully retractable until his 20's and he has kept his foreskin now for over 60 years.

[Fi.]

It really does vary - my ex says he remembers retracting on his own around 6, my son is 3 and can retract. 5 sounds fine without retracting.

[SeekingSerenity]

My 5-yo doesn't retract yet. He also plays with it every chance he gets. So I think it's just individual to each little man.

[Heavenly]

My son wasn't retractable by age 5. He is 7 now and I don't know if he's retractable.

[RachelSerena]

My DH didn't retract until 12-13. He's fine

[Mommiska]

Well, my ds is 4.5 years old, and I don't think he's even beginning the separation process...as far as I can tell when I'm in the bathroom with him when he's peeing, there is no ballooning at all. He's also not one for messing with his penis a huge amount...maybe it's related, maybe it's not.

My dh wasn't retractable until his late teens, and he's absolutely fine - totally normal for him. So I'm not concerned about my son. I doubt I'll know when he becomes retractable.