Normal? Balanitis? Something else?

[MRex]

16 month old toddler had an oddly swollen penis when I took his very full nappy off after a nap. His penis had kind of shrunk back and loads of wee came out once the nappy was off, all the swelling from the penis went away as the wee came out so it seems like wee was caught under the foreskin and swelling the penis weirdly (is that even possible?). No bad smells, no nappy rash. We've washed him with soapy water and put him nappy free; there's no redness, no swelling and he's just done a lovely long wee that seemed quite normal. He enjoyed watching it, so doesn't seem to have had any pain. He's also had a little play with his penis but distracted by duplo now. His foreskin has always seemed very tight at the top. Is this normal because the nappy was full and his penis in a strange position? Or should I be going to a GP?

[Liverprobs]

I’d say normal considering his nappy was so full .... change him sooner!
He could have literally been about to wee hence the ‘swelling’
Tight foreskin is very normal at his age ... don’t ever try to retract this. Tight foreskins usually correct themselves during puberty. ... a long way off for your ds yet 😂

[MRex]

Thanks, that's reassuring. It seemed so weird but he's happy enough.

He had an extra long nap after lunch with water and a big breastfeed session, that's why it was so full, I can't really change it while he's napping.

[StillMedusa]

Probably fine. They do 'fill up' just before a wee when they are very little as the foreskin doesn't retract (and isn't meant to)
It's only a problem if he gets sore when he is older... one of my boys had to be circumsized at 5 because he had a very tight ballooning foreskin and got infections. The other's ballooned when little but as he grew it didn't.

[Isadora2007]

Actually I would keep an eye on it and take him to the GP just in case. My DS was circumcised age 13 due to this and it hadn’t been a particular issue for him as a child- but it was tight and I didn’t know any better having never had a boy or a brother or seen a little boys willy!! It could have been loosened using steroid cream as a child but by the time puberty hit it became more of an issue and only resolved through surgery. Better to get it checked and even ask for a urology appt if you’re not satisfied the GP knows enough about it.

[MRex]

Thanks both. I read an article now about "Ballooning of the Foreskin" that suggests is quite common (though my no means all boys) as the foreskin starts to detach from the glans. Hopefully it'll separate fully and early so that he can stretch his foreskin out while he's little. We'll keep an eye on it of course, as obviously there is some small risk of infection or that his foreskin is too tight, but it at least isn't an immediate issue.