Don’t touch it! At least not yet anyway. Retracting and cleaning a baby’s foreskin can actually cause small tears in the tissue, which can lead to adhesions and possible problems later in life. Instead, simply wash the outside of your baby’s foreskin with water (with or without a mild soap) as
you would any other part of his body. As boys get older (usually around age 2) they begin having nighttime erections; as a result, the foreskin will gently stretch on its own. Any adhesions that may have formed will separate. That
said, plenty of normal little boys are unable to retract the foreskin until the age of 4 or 5, at which time you can teach your son how to gently clean the foreskin and the head of the penis underneath it. In due time, the foreskin will become easily retractable and your son will be old enough to care for it on his own.
If there is ever any redness, swelling, or pain around your son’s penis, bring it to the immediate attention of your pediatrician.
Don’t touch it! At least not yet anyway. Retracting
and cleaning a baby’s foreskin can actually cause small tears
in the tissue, which can lead to adhesions and possible
problems later in life. Instead, simply wash the...
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Dr. Tanya Remer Altmann answered:Don’t touch it! At least not yet anyway. Retracting and cleaning a baby’s foreskin can actually cause small tears in the tissue, which can lead to adhesions and possible problems later in life. Instead, simply wash the outside of your baby’s foreskin with water (with or without a mild soap) as
Find out more about this book: Mommy Calls: Dr. Tanya Answers Parents' Top 101 Questions About Babies and...
