Baby care:Penis care

Your baby boy's penis is made up of the cylindrical shaft with a rounded end called the glans. The shaft and the glans are separated by a groove called the sulcus. At the tip of the glans is an opening where the urine comes out. The entire penis is covered by a continuous layer of skin, called the foreskin. The foreskin has two layers-the outer skin and a lining that is similar to a mucus membrane. When your baby boy is born, the foreskin is firmly attached to the glans. In uncircumcised boys, around the age of 9 or 10 the foreskin and glans become fully separated. At that point, the foreskin can be pulled back for thorough cleanings.

If your baby boy is not circumcised, the only care it will require during infancy is soap and water as the rest of the body is being washed. It is unnecessary, painful and dangerous to try to forcibly retract the foreskin or clean under it with cotton swabs. You should only do this once the boy is old enough and the foreskin has separated from the glans.

In a circumcised baby, the penis will only ever need to be washed with soap and water. However, as the baby's circumcision heals, you need to take special care of his penis. While the circumcision is healing, it may be sore to touch and bleed some. It may also ooze slightly at the site of the surgery. Try to make your baby as comfortable as possible during this healing time. You can put two diapers on your baby boy for extra cushioning and to keep his thighs from pressing against it. Usually the penis is wrapped in gauze after the circumcision has been performed. You need to put a fresh gauze pad with petroleum jelly on the penis with each diaper change. Do not immerse your baby's penis in water during this healing time. If you notice a foul odor or colored discharge, other than blood, during the healing process, you should call your child's doctor.

Comments: Baby care - Penis-care

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ClaireSA - 338 days ago.
pregnantladi - don't pull the foreskin back for any reason whatsoever. I have a 2 year old boy, he was complaining of a sore penis. I took him to the gp and she said it was a bit of thrush. She told me to pull the foreskin back and apply an antifungal cream. I knew you mustn't pull it back, but thought that she would know best being a doctor. He ended up with a big lump on one side of his penis, all red and swollen - called ballonitis. It is infection of the foreskin. He had to have oral antibiotics..... So don't ever pull it back....

pregnantladi - 338 days ago.
OMG I so confused.... I have just found out im expecting a boy. This is my second child and already have a girl. This was my biggest worry with having a boy, how to wash him properly, now do you pull or dont you pull????

rorylex2008 - 344 days ago.
all 3 of my boys were circumcised at 3weeks old and i didnt need to use vaseline or gause or a 2nd nappy and i could bath him the same that i had b4 it and i have never pulled back anything there was never anything to pull back, maybe my boys were done a different way. they were given a local and then a plastic ring was inserted into foreskin and then a elastic band was tied on the ring right at the bottem of the forskin then the skin was just snipped off. and took 5 - 10days to heal on its own. there was no screaming from any of them and they were happy to chat and smile at the nurse.

babydoll24 - 352 days ago.
i just had my baby boy circumcised on december 1st. how do i tell if it is healed or not???

WeeBerry - 364 days ago.
I took my son Zack to see his pediatrician for his 6 month wellness visit, and mentioned that he lacked pressure when he urinates. Every baby boy I've ever seen could hit you in the face with his stream if he let loose while you changed them, but not Zack. She thought it might indicate a narrow urethra and said she'd take a look. Anyway, the next thing I know Zack's screaming in pain... I look down, and his penis tip is bloody. She had pulled the skin back to have a look. I was very disturbed by this. She told me to put Polysporin on the tip for a few days and it would be fine. It seemed fine again in a couple of days. But I wonder, if it's not meant to be pulled back until they're older, what does it mean for my son now that his has been?? Do I have to care for it differently? The doctor didn't instruct me on this. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated...

RobinG - 378 days ago.
Uncirc'd dont get pulled back but cric'd does once healed to clean and to prevent reattachment ~ the pulling back and not pulling back differs from circ'd and uncirc'd. We began pulling back gently after a week once they were healed and it went perfectly :)

anxioustimes - 379 days ago.
my son IS circumcised and we were only told to put vaseline on gauze and put it on the tip then at his one month our pedi looked at it and asked if we were pulling it back everytime we changed it we didnt know u had to so dereks actually started growing back over!

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