Toddler with sore red willy?

[ohnowhatnow]

My 2.5 yr old has been complaining of a sore willy today. He's still in nappies most of the time, but when on the potty earlier he started to cry right after doing a wee and the end of his penis was a bit red and sore looking.

Is this a doctor thing or home treatment suitable?

[GreatUncleEddie]

GP

[ohnowhatnow]

Okay, thanks.

Now to ring the doctors - its one of those ridiculous emergency appointments or wait three weeks systems, hence wondering if it was just a case of some cream I could get from the chemist!

[WowOoo]

I would just give him a long soak in the bath.

[megandraper]

Definitely GP, poor boy. DS1 has had a urine infection, with symptoms like this, which required antibiotics. DS2 had similar symptoms but his was thrush. Get an appointment today - it will get worse and he will be in pain until he is seen.

My GP said it's quite common in small boys.

[WowOoo]

I suppose it depends on how sore and how red it is.
The first thing I would do is to make sure he's clean, so I would let him have a nice bath and a play and hope that improves it.

(feel like a slack Mum for not saying GP too now)

[uberalice]

Bathe in salt water a few times a day and get antibiotics from the GP. Definitely OK to take an emergency appointment. It's fairly common.

[ilovepowerhoop]

I would slather it in sudocrem and see how it is in a couple of hours

[ohnowhatnow]

Its only a bit red, dont know how sore but enough for him to be quite sad about it after he did a wee. He's fine right now, watching cbeebies and eating a biscuit.

He had a mega bath last night so its def clean.

[ohnowhatnow]

My shameful ignorance of willy-related matters

[WingDefence]

My DS (now 4) has had a foreskin infection twice; it's quite common. His willy goes red and round and antibiotics are the best thing for it. My (male, old-school) GP said never try pulling the foreskin back to clean it but we never have done anyway (ouch!).

Hope your DS feels better soon.

[BertieBotts]

I think if they can pull it back gently themselves then it's okay, DS has started doing this when he's in the bath sometimes, I think he likes the feeling

If it's hurting him when he's weeing then you want to get it sorted ASAP before it causes any toilet issues really.

[ohnowhatnow]

Its not round or swollen, having had a closer look so I know what to say on the phone. Just a bit red at the very end.

[RooneyMara]

Mine have both had this and the first gP we saw suggested referral for circumcision

Second GP said, stop using bubble bath and it should resolve by itself. It did.

Don't worry - perfectly normal and I've never, ever tried to pull back anything or clean under anything with mine! I imagine it'll sort itself out naturally.

You could put some anti fungal cream or sudocrem on it to ease the soreness and see if that helps.

[ohnowhatnow]

I have always been told not, TSC.

Having had a really really good look now, there's a small red patch on the tip of his foreskin? Its not red all over, just in that one place. It looks kind of like its been tugged a bit hard and got a tiny split in that place, if that makes sense?

[WingDefence]

Oh your poor DS! If he has got a tiny cut on the end I imagine weeing on it must really sting :( I second the sudocreme/savlon advice. If he is still in nappies, can you give him some nappy-off time to help it heal?

Re: the retraction argument, my GP did acknowledge that there are two camps on this but I'd never dream of doing it to DS so was happy with his advice. If he'd suggested doing it, I suppose I may have considered getting DH to try

[ohnowhatnow]

I'm going for washing with some warm salt water at every change followed by a slathering of whatever nappy cream I can find, and seeing how it is by the morning.

[BertieBotts]

No TSC you're not. For one thing it doesn't even separate until they're somewhere between about 4 or 5 and puberty, so it would be extremely painful to force it back before then - like ripping off a fingernail to "clean underneath it".

For some doctors who are pro-circumcision it used to be the advised thing (and so you still may find a few doctors who believe it to be the case - probably far more likely in the US than here, though) but no, definitely never retract a boy's penis. If he's not old enough to do it himself then it's very likely it doesn't need to be retracted anyway. Once they get to the age that they can do it, then you can tell them to give their willy a swish in the bath.

Once they're old enough to be, erm, pulling it back for a reason (!) they'll be able to see it needs a rinse when pulled back too.

I suppose if it seems like there's something trapped in there it would make sense to try very very gently but never ever to force it or think that it "should" come back - some boys' foreskins don't retract until they're 10 or 11.

[BertieBotts]

Yes I think cultural definitely. (Is circumcision common in Spain at all?) It must have a little bit of movement even from birth, you're right, because babies can get erections even when they're tiny, by retracting I mean retracting all the way so that the head is exposed - DS is 4 and I don't think his does this yet - I haven't noticed in the bath or anything anyway. Obviously not doing nappies etc any more.

You're not supposed to clean under it, because bits of cream, soap, or even bits of fluff from the cotton wool or wipe or cloth or whatever you're using can get caught underneath it and because he's not sexually mature yet he won't be "using" it and so the stuff that's caught inside might irritate him and even lead to infection. Dead skin etc shouldn't cause a problem because it's only skin. It's funny because this advice tends to be common in countries that circumcise, but it's this unnecessary cleaning which is a big cause of most infections, which is one of the reasons people often choose to circ!

If it does need cleaning then usually pulling it (vv) gently back and swishing in bathwater should be adequate. If you've never cleaned underneath it, then this shouldn't need doing at all until he can do it himself because it's unlikely anything will have got trapped in there.

[neolara]

I sounds like it could be balanitis. It's very painful but easily treated with canestan cream. Go to your GP.