[SherBear2528]

Our 5 yr old son (we will be finalizing a sibling group adoption in Dec) is uncircumcised and we have no experience with that. My husband and all of our male family members (and friends that we are close enough with to ask) are circumcised, so this is new for us.

Can anyone educate me? We won't he going for a Dr checkup until Nov, so I thought I should give the forums a shot. At 5 does he need to learn any particular method of cleaning? All I know is what I've heard, and we all know how wrong that can be.

Thanks for any insight.

[kllee4]

Out of my four boys, my oldest (almost 16) wasn't circumcised because he failed his sleep apnea tests and they wouldn't do the surgery on preemies with breathing difficulties (the drugs could affect breathing and they certainly wouldn't allow him to cry during the procedure with immature lungs), not sure if it's different now. We had to wait until he cleared all of the tests but by then he was about 6 months old and they were still leary about putting him under to have it done (and I was afraid of the complications also) so we left him be (extra skin and all, more of him to love, I guess).

Well, my dad isn't circumcised (I know, too much information) but he was who I turned to for advice (and the pediatrician of course). But by the time he was 3 or 4, and with a lot of practicing, he was a pro at cleaning it himself (we would always go behind him until we were confident that he had it done correctly). The main thing is to ensure that the skin is pulled back and fully cleaned underneath. My son hasn't had any problems at all except for one summer (he was about 9) away for a week at basketball camp. I'm not too sure if he had all the privacy he needed during shower time (and the counselors said that the little buggers all avoided bathing, prefering other activities at night, i.e., pillow fights, ghost stories, etc.) but he came home with it a little inflamed and red. We let him soak in the tub and went to the doctor the next day. Just a case of wearing the same underwear for the last 3 days of camp (boy did he smell when we picked him up - they all did!). I found out later that a lot of the boys had irritations in that area and I don't believe that ALL of them were uncircumcised! We REALLY had to clean it, though, so watch out for that.

I'm not sure what type of boy your son is but mine seem to have a great aversion to baths/showers and needed to be gently reminded (think: yelling) for them to take them and take them correctly!

I would have a "talk" about cleanliness and the importance of ensuring that it is clean. I'm not sure if he realizes yet that all penises are not created equally but now may be the time to explain all of that in a way that doesn't embarrass him or make him feel different (he's not).

My other three sons have been circumcised but one of them received one that was "less than perfect" but, once again, being a preemie, they were hesitant, due to his lung condition to redo it. It was fine. But due to an undescended testicle, he had to have surgery (he still calls it his "ball surgery" ) and since they had to put him under for that, they also "tidied up" his previous circumcision. He hasn't allowed me to see it (he had it at 9, he's now 10) but what he doesn't know is that I got to see it while he was still under (the surgeon wanted us to see what they did). It'll be my little secret!

I hope this helps!

[jojobear]

Our 3 yr old fs is also uncut, However he is very good at cleaning it himself. To him it is a game, We let him "pop it out" and wash it and then we make sure it is clean. It has gotten inflammed once and it was because he had pulled the skin too far back. nice warm bath and some extra care to it and in three days it was back to normal.

It really isn't much different then cleaning a circumcised penis. Just have to pull the skin back and make sure it is clean under too.

Jody

[BrandyHagz]

Care of the Intact Penis

by James E. Peron, Ed. D.

In a society where routine circumcision has been common for many years, even parents who choose to protect their sons from routine circumcision may have questions regarding hygiene of the intact penis.

Should the young child's foreskin be retracted for proper cleaning? At what age should the child's foreskin be retractable?

• Leave the foreskin alone; wash only what is external and readily visible.
• Never forcibly retract your son's foreskin and don't permit anyone else to do so.
• Make certain your son's medical attendants understand his foreskin is not to be retracted or tampered with.
• Always stay with your son during his doctor visits and exams.
• When teaching the child to bathe and care for himself, let the child retract his own foreskin if he wants to. He will not retract it beyond the point of discomfort.
• A child's foreskin does not need to be retracted regularly for cleaning until the end of puberty. It should not be retracted during early childhood.*

What about "smegma" and hygiene?

Parents are frequently told that the foreskin must be carefully cleaned to remove "smegma" from under the foreskin. Smegma is a natural oily, waxy lubricant formed between the foreskin and the glans. Rarely does it exist in the uncircumcised child whose foreskin has not been forcibly retracted; the substance we are warned to carefully wash away is rarely produced during childhood. During puberty, these natural secretions tend to increase, providing a natural lubricant between the foreskin and glans for protection and to permit the foreskin to slide easily over the glans as nature intended for this age. By mid-teenage, the foreskin is retractable and hygiene is a simple matter. Any accumulation of these natural lubricating substances can easily be cleansed during the boy's shower or bath.

What about irritation or itching of the foreskin?

• If the infant boy has redness or irritation of the foreskin area and tip of his penis, simply apply a protective healing ointment such as A&D ointment, Oil of Vitamin E, anti-biotic ointemnt, etc. Don't try to retract his foreskin. The irritation will usually clear up in a few days.
• Some baby boys develop little "pearls" under the foreskin between the glans and the foreskin. These are shed cells from the glans and foreskin gradually separating that will eventually work their way to the opening and be discarded. Rarely do they present a problem.
• An older uncircumcised child may complain of foreskin irritation or itching. Interestingly, this seems most common with those boys whose foreskin has been regularly retracted from early childhood.
• Active young boys playing outside may occasionally get dirt or sand in the foreskin opening. It may lodge between the inner foreskin and glans tip causing minor irritation. If the foreskin is partially or fully retractable, you may very gently retract his foreskin and rinse the area with warm water.
• If the foreskin will not retract or is swollen, do not force it. Wash the area and apply a soothing lubricant to the tip and exposed surfaces. Remember always return the foreskin to its normal resting position

[lambeausam]

One word of caution, if you are met with resistance when retracting the foreskin, stop and consult a doctor. My six year old will be having surgery soon due to extremely tight foreskin. Usually by four, the foreskin releases from the glans, but not always.

Sam

[Lovebug]

I agree...if you are met with any type of resistance seek medical help....don't attempt to do anything to it yourself for sure. My 18 mo DS is not circed either. It was our choice. Many many many parents are opting to not circ their boys now. It is very common....more so than you might think.

--Renee

[ALI143]

Neither of my sons are circumsized and I haven't had one problem with it. Once in a great while one will say it's sore and my dh will ask, "Did you rinse all the soap off?" and they'll do better in the bath and it'll fix it self in a day. My doc said in her practice the circumsion rate has flipped with more not being cut. She said she's glad to see parents accepting penises as they are-lol.

[mommieof2cuties]

My son is cut, and we had problems with that, the doctor didn't take it much off and it grew back, at a doctors visit they (pulled it HARD back down he was six months old) and it started to bleed etc. It has been an issue for us and we are deciding if we will have it redone. My DH is cut and has had no issues, but back when he was young so much came off these days it is a small amount, not sure if it is worth doing. I will think long and hard before I have it done to another son.

My friends five year old had it done, as all his friends were cut, and he has been fine. He said it hurt a little and didn't want to wear shorts. But he has been fine, he was not one to clean himself, and wanted to look like the other boys

God Bless,
Summer

[akcskye]

If I were to have a son, I would choose circumcision, and the so called "risks" of circumcision are quite small. I mean, it's been done for YEARS.
To me, a cut penis looks much better, it's easier to clean, and doesn't cause the problems that an uncut one can during sexual activity.
Of course, I think Americans in general are WAY too concerned about that part of the male anatomy. I shudder to hear families making big deals out of their little boy's penis.
Like I told my husband, it's not like I'm going to have him and his son pull down their pants and tell the group "see, don't they both look alike?" LOL

[qs mom]

My son is intact and shall remain that way, until he decides otherwise.

He was almost 3 when I brought him home. The risks weren't worth it to me.

I had his ped. check it over. She said he has a perfectly healthy penis. The foreskin was no longer attached. I should just wash daily with soap and water and not give it another thought. That's exactly what I've done.

He is now 5. Cleans himself. Had no problems to date. The only 'issue' is that he can't spend alot of time in a bubble bath. He gets a little irritated if he has bubbles more than twice a week. Something we certainly can live with.

Oh, and at 5, he's actually seen a couple of other boy's penises (cousins) and he never gave it a thought that his is different than theirs.

Oh, by the way, one of the circ'd cousins, has had several yeast infections. So, infections aren't exclusive to uncirc'd boys.

[SherBear2528]

Thank you all for your responses.

If I were to have biological children, I would not be a proponent of circumcision, because to me, there is no reason other than esthetics.
However, my post was more of a 'do I need to do anything different' than anything else. Unless there was a compelling medical need, we would not circumcise a 5 yr old boy.
I agree with what others have said, so it looks different, not a big deal. I am Caucasian and my son is African American. He stands out in our family for other reasons, not for his penis.

Thanks again. The input and shared experiences were great.

[redhedded]

I am sorry, but I have to. akcskye, I respect your opinion and believe that the choice is a very individual and personal one; however, this

a cut penis looks much better, it's easier to clean, and doesn't cause the problems that an uncut one can during sexual activity.

is based on nothing more than opinion, not on medical fact, and what looks 'good' is highly subjective. Yes, people have circumcised for years, most often for religious/social reasons but millions have not. In fact, in my husband's homeland, circumcision is, at best, considered weird.

[akcskye]

Originally Posted by redhedded

I am sorry, but I have to. akcskye, I respect your opinion and believe that the choice is a very individual and personal one; however, this

is based on nothing more than opinion, not on medical fact, and what looks 'good' is highly subjective. Yes, people have circumcised for years, most often for religious/social reasons but millions have not. In fact, in my husband's homeland, circumcision is, at best, considered weird.

I'm sorry you disagree with me, however, there ARE many medical reasons to circumcise rather than leaving a boy natural.

Yes, I agree what looks good IS highly subjective, and I did plainly put in my original post the words "to me" that *should* have clarified that that statement was my opinion.

However, uncut boys also have their share of MEDICALLY RECOGNIZED problems, so therefore, I do not appreciate your statements that my truthful statement about medical problems in the uncut boy are my opinion and not fact.

I am not trying to start an argument, but I do know there are medical problems associated with an uncut penis, and I don't like to be viewed as spouting my mouth without having concrete knowledge. LOL


Here is the snippet from one of the many medical sites:

Circumcision -- Medical Pros and Cons At A Glance
Inability to retract the foreskin fully at birth is not a medical reason for a circumcision.
Circumcision prevents phimosis (the inability to retract the foreskin at an age when it should normally be retractable), paraphimosis (the painful inability to return the foreskin to its original location) and balanoposthitis (inflammation of the glans and foreskin).
Circumcision increases the chance of meatitis (inflammation of the opening of the penis).
Circumcision may result in a decreased incidence of urinary tract infections.
Circumcision may result in a lower incidence of sexually transmitted diseases.
Circumcision may lower the risk for cancer of the cervix in sexual partners.
Circumcision may decrease the risk for cancer of the penis.

As you can see, there are many pros and cons to circumcision that only parents alone can decide.
Yes, IF I had a natural born son, I'd circumcise because uncut penises also have their problems and risks that I'm not willing to let my son go through (such as Penile Cancer that has a 25% mortality rate, that is almost exclusive to uncut men), and that is NOT my opinion, but medical fact.

Kristi

[NDN]

Admittedly, I have not read this whole thread. Just thought I would let everyone know that the new issue of Mothering magazine has an article about the latest research on circumcision. I was very interested to know that the U.S. is essentially the only country that continues to consider it a routine procedure.

[lolapink]

my almost 5yr old is uncirced and we've never had problems other than mild irritation from bubble bath, but then i have that problem as do my mother and circ'd brother, so i dont think thats caused by his not being circumsised. i was told by several peds i asked NOT to force the foreskin back and all we do is rinse it good with fresh water at the end of bathtime