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special care for non-circed boys

2K views 24 replies 19 participants last post by  happymommy1 
#1 ·
my son is not circumcised. my ped is ok with that. my question is, do we have to do anythin special to care for that area? my ped said to retract a little every day, but my friend said just to let it alone (which i've read). looking for experience from moms about what has worked.

thanks
 
#2 ·
DO NOT RETRACT!!!!!!!!!!!! at all, in any way shape or form. Do nothing to it. If you pull it back you can create scar tissues. All you do is wash the outside of his penis just like the rest of his body, soap and water or just water if he has dry skin. Only my oldest can pull his foreskin back and he does it himself and rinses his penis with water. Occasionally when they are in diapers the tip of the penis/foreskin will get a little red, I put a dab of diaper cream on it and its fine. I have three boys, soon to be four and none of mine are or will be cut. There are a ton of websites to help you. I'm listing a few below.

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

http://www.circumstitions.com/Care.html

http://www.nocirc.org/publish/4pam.pdf

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

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001917.htm

http://babyparenting.about.com/cs/circumcision/f/careuncirc.htm

http://www.cirp.org/library/hygiene/camille1/

http://www.askdrsears.com/faq/az3.asp

http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/info/physiciansguide.html
 
#5 ·
What everyone else has said NEVER RETRACT and I would be watching your ped. like a hawk since he is obviously ignorant of proper intact care and may attempt retraction (any movement at all back toward the body) which can cause damage and shouldnt be allowed.
 
#6 ·
There's a form you can have your doctor sign that says he will never retract. It's an actual contract. Personally, after that comment, I'd have him sign it before the diaper ever comes off again.
 
#7 ·
You can find the Intact Care Agreement here. I personally saved it to my computer then modified it to better suite my needs. Here is the AAP Intact Care Guide that I have to go alone with it. Specifically that part about retraction.

Intact Care Agreement
To:
The Health Care Provider/s of our son.
From:
The parents of

As our son's parents, we have written this document as a preventative measure only, in response to a previous
negative experience. It is not meant to single out any one person, but is meant to relay our wishes and
concerns to all health care providers who see our son.


In providing health care for the above named person, I agree to the following:

This boy is not circumcised. He was left intact, on purpose, by his parents at birth, who refused the
operation at that time, as they feel that it is not a medically indicated procedure for infants. They intend to
keep him intact, and are informed on the proper (and wary of the improper) care of the intact penis.

The proper care of the intact penis is to "leave it alone" AAP, American Academy Of Pediatrics (See
attached printout) and other health care organizations. His parents do not retract his foreskin, (push it back at
all toward the body) as it is unnecessary & harmful, likewise will not allow anyone else to do so either. The
foreskin is firmly attached to the glans (head) of the penis in much the same way as the fingernail is attached
to the finger, and DOES NOT retract.

Furthermore, any retraction of the foreskin before natural separation has occurred can cause irreparable
damage through bleeding and the formation of adhesions. The ONLY person who may retract our son's
foreskin is our son himself.

There is NO reason whatsoever to touch our son's penis during an exam: Not "To see inside"; not "Out
of curiosity"; not "To break adhesions (the attach points are synechiae & are supposed to be there, not
adhesions)"; not "To see if the foreskin retracts"; not "To clean it", etc., etc.

The intact penis requires no special care, such as "irrigation" or "loosening of the foreskin". His parents
wipe the OUTSIDE with soapy water at bath time (and rinse after with warm water), and with water or baby
wipes at each diaper change. Any "cleaning" other than the afore-mentioned can cause infection, and
problems which stem from infections.

I, as the health care provider of the above named, have read this document and I understand what I have
read, fully, and therefore agree that I will not touch his penis for any reason. If I genuinely have a
concern about whether his urethral opening is "fine", I will bring this point up to his parents and they can
decide if there needs to be anything done. If they DO decide that it needs to be looked at, only THEY, not I,
will touch his penis.

I will adhere to the above information, and know that, if I do not, it will be seen in the eyes of his parents,
as purposeful abuse toward their son. If I do not agree to all that is written here, I of course have the right to
refuse to treat this child and he will not be looked after by me for his medical care.


Care Givers Signature: Date:
 
#8 ·
Yup, what everyone else said! No retracting! But, also don't be afraid that you will hurt him in the course of changing a diaper. It's not so delicate that you can't touch it - just don't be too rough and all will be fine. I just wipe my ds off a bit, and put his diaper on, we've had no problems with the foreskin so far.
 
#9 ·
Your doctor is an idiot. Never retract the foreskin. The only person who should do retracting is the OWNER of the penis. It will retract on its own eventually - probably years from now. Leave it alone and clean ONLY what can be seen. Like a finger.
 
#10 ·
thanks. but my doctor is not an idiot. he is actually a great pediatrician! he has been a doctor for over 30 years and is completely great with my decision not to vaccinate my child. he thinks vaccinations are not necessary -- he has given me a food chart on when to introduce solids and has informed me not to introduce wheat until 21 months b/c of issues with intestinal flora. he is known in our community for helping to naturally heal children who have add or adhd (by making dietary changes and eating organic). he has given us his cell number and has 3 boys of his own. i'm curious as to whether to retract because my sister retracted a little with her son, and he is ok.

thanks again for all the info -- sorry to be defensive about my doctor -- but i just think he's a great guy overall!
 
#12 ·
Do NOT retract and do not allow ANY doctor/nurse/child care worker to make this horrible mistake. Make sure to always warn your doctor to not touch your son's penis BEFORE the diaper comes off (because the retraction usually happens very fast before parents have the time to say anything). The only person who should be allowed to mess with the penis is your son and no one else. Only wipe/wash from outside and outside only. Just like with girls you do not want to put much (if any) soap on the area. There really isn't ANYTHING special you need to do to keep it clean. Just dry him with a towel after a bath or a shower (I usually dry it under the son's penis well, much like I dry well my daughter's privet area in order to not create a yeast-friendly environment) and that is all you need to do. I usually don't even soap the area (well, after reading about the protective properties of skin I stopped soaping the whole body anyway, just the hair, arm-pits, feet and hands get washed well, the rest of the body just gets rinsed with water).
 
#13 ·
I do apologize. I get rather intense sometimes with the misinformation that is spread around about intact males -- especially when it's coming from healthcare professionals. I'm sure your doctor is wonderful in most other areas or you wouldn't have chosen him! I would suggest that maybe you should gather some information to bring along next time to inform him about intact care. If he continues to spread this bad information to other parents who don't know better, he could be doing some poor innocent baby some harm!
 
#14 ·
I agree with pp from your description your Dr. is a great one but he is very misinformed about proper intact care and he could really cause some one to harm their little guy without meaning to. There are lots of information in the resources sticky you can print off and take to him and who knows maybe he will listen and stop giving out potentially harmful advice to parents.
 
#15 ·
as it turns out, i noticed some white spots on my LO's little penis... i thought it was an infection of some sort. took him to the doctor who said that it is some kind of penile adhesion which can be avoided with some retraction... so... seems like retracting isn't so bad after all.
 
#17 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by alevagon View Post

as it turns out, i noticed some white spots on my LO's little penis... i thought it was an infection of some sort. took him to the doctor who said that it is some kind of penile adhesion which can be avoided with some retraction... so... seems like retracting isn't so bad after all.
Actually it is bad unless it is your ds doing the retracting. You should read this thread http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=129378 also this one The Definition of Retraction & why it is BAD Your Dr. is not up to date on proper intact care. If he tried to retract your ds and told you what he did then he is wrong. I can provide you with links from sites that Dr's have made about this issue.

Those are not adhesions they are scenachia sp? and are supposed to be there until your ds's body lets them release at the right time. If you cause those places to tear apart prematurely you are then going to set your ds up for true adhesions because they will heal back down. The body is a wonderful thing and dosnt need help from us to do its job properly.
 
#18 ·
Don't retract at all! Don't even pull back on it!

My doc is a great doc too yet sadly misinformed when it comes to taking care of the Intact penis and the normal development of the foreskin.

I feel your pain and I watch my son like a hawk at Dr's visits. In fact, I think the next time I take him in, I'm just going to say that we are opting out of genital exams. They can look at his testicles to make sure they are descended but so many docs want to pull and play with my son's penis, it's crazy. My daughter is never subjected to such close genital scrutiny.

I don't believe that any forced retraction is beneficial to your son unless he is retracting his own foreskin. In fact, if your doctor has previously messed with his foreskin (pulling back on it, reatracting it) those white spots might actually be iatrogenic (doctor caused) adhesions caused by him messing with your son.
 
#19 ·
Since retraction can actually cause adhesions (you can't get adhesions til you break the synechiae, anyway), I'd say your doctor is giving poor advice. I know that having other people tell you that your doctor is an idiot can cause you to become defensive and not want to listen to them, but in this case, your doctor really is incorrect. Premature retracting can cause infections, pain, swelling, adhesions, skin bridges...the list goes on and on.

There's plenty of places on the internet where you can find proper intact care, and some were linked in this thread. You should check them out :).

Quote:
Originally Posted by alevagon View Post

as it turns out, i noticed some white spots on my LO's little penis... i thought it was an infection of some sort. took him to the doctor who said that it is some kind of penile adhesion which can be avoided with some retraction... so... seems like retracting isn't so bad after all.
 
#20 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by alevagon View Post

as it turns out, i noticed some white spots on my LO's little penis... i thought it was an infection of some sort. took him to the doctor who said that it is some kind of penile adhesion which can be avoided with some retraction... so... seems like retracting isn't so bad after all.
Baby boys are born with their foreskin fused to the head of their penis. It's supposed to be attached. By retracting prematurely you can break the attachments, cause bleeding and scarring, not to mention pain. That's why retraction isn't necessary.

Also, the reason the foreskin is "adhered" is so it can protect the penis from harsh urine burn and feces. Helping him to retract, ESP while he's still in diapers, isn't going to do his penis any favors and could introduce infection or bacteria.

Your ped is likely thinking about circumcised boys and not realizing the care is different for an intact boy. Circumcised boys should have their remaining foreskin retracted a bit with each diaper change since the leftover foreskin can and does reattach to the glans. In those cases, it's the body trying to heal itself from a circumcised condition, and it can heal badly.

Anyway, the white spots could be anything from diaper rash bumps to smegma under the foreskin, which will work its way out in the tub.

Your doctor sounds very good, actually. Just out of date on this particular info.
 
#21 ·
Your dr is giving you terrible advice. He is gonna cause your son problems. Please stop trying to uphold him and realize he is only doing harm to your son. Leave his penis alone, there is NEVER any reason for anyone to retract a childs foreskin. Im sorry if i sound harsh, but it just upsets me when dr's, who we would like to trust, gives such bad advice.
 
#22 ·
I'll disagree with AllMyChildren. I think you should continue to uphold your doctor--and TRUST him to be intelligent enough to understand and accept the medical literature on proper care of the intact penis.

If, however, after you give him the information he persists in insisting on rumor and myth, then don't bring any genital questions to him. Because retracting a boy is just as pointless, invasive, and more painful and harmful than sticking a finger in a girl's vagina would be. There is exactly as little need to "check things under there" than there would be to check a girl's cervix.
 
#23 ·
When seeking intact care information I find it best to look at information that is provided by medical associations especially in countries who have low circumcision rates.

This is from the Canadian Paediatric Society- They have a section on caring for the intact penis.

http://www.caringforkids.cps.ca/pregnancybabies/circumcision.htm

This is the British Association of Paediatric Surgery- Top of page 8, Section 1

http://www.baps.org.uk/documents/Circumcision_2007

Both the above Canadian and British Paediatric official statements are to not retract, retraction happens naturally on its own.

For me an easy way to think about it is to compare it to a baby girls vagina opening. An intact male retracts when he becomes aroused thus a boy has no need to be retractable and the foreskin is fused to the head of the penis, just as a baby girls vagina opening is tight because she has no need for it to be stretchy. As both sexes naturally develop the female and male sexual organs become functional. Just as their is no need to stretch a young girls vagina hole there is no need to retract a little boy.
 
#24 ·
I had a dr who was very good too, but not so good on intact care.

The thing is, even gentle retraction could cause some tearing or irritation--- and it really isn't necessary at all. What is he trying to accomplish by suggesting retraction? It happens naturally on its own- but not NOW. During infancy the foreskin protects the urethra from urine and stool. By retracting prematurely you are removing this protection and then have to be more invasive about cleaning to avoid problems.

The doctor can see all s/he needs to without moving the foreskin- and if the child is urinating normally- then that also confirms that everything is working fine. The body really works in an amazing way!

Even if he thinks he is being careful- why is it even necessary?? (It isn't)

Now, I'm sure my doctor and your doctor were probably trained and educated a certain way and they are used to following that model. A great doctor, though, will be open to new information- and at the very least, be respectful of a parents instruction/decision.

It might not be your child that ends up with a problem from early retraction- some (most) probably do fine- but it is still unnecessary and potentially problematic.

Good luck,

Jessica

http://mothering.com/health/protect-your-uncircumcised-son-expert-medical-advice-for-parents

http://www.mothering.com/community/forum/thread/129378/a-warning-for-parents-of-intact-sons

If you want you can check out some old threads/articles I typed up a bunch of stuff for our pedi:

http://www.mothering.com/community/forum/thread/982606/gloria-lemay-s-blog-protecting-boys-from-retraction

http://www.mothering.com/community/forum/thread/718856/i-ve-got-a-live-one-here-doctor-re-education

http://www.mothering.com/community/forum/thread/761568/aap-and-gentle-retraction-for-exam

And unfortunately, if you search for retraction and pediatrician (or related terms) there are dozens of posts about this happening and causing problems.
 
#25 ·
If you go to dr c off wekiva rd we had this issue too and I ended up w an injured child. We will go back one more time with literature to educate him and if he can't handle it then we know of a great gen practitioner who does drop ins and is wholistic like dr c. We will be back in about 6 wks for a 12 mo visit and will discuss w him then. If this is yoru dr, then maybe we should join forces.;) I like him a lot and he has helped me find that my baby has a gluten issue and figured out many misdiagnoses that a diff dr didnt figure out so I like him. This one issue he needs to be educated about. We are select/delaying vaxes for many reasons as well.
 
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