to be really worried?

[twolittleboysonetiredmum]

I've posted this on childrens health but putting it here for more traffic as I'm really concerned and would appreciate some advice.
My nearly one year old had his one year check a few weeks ago and the HV couldn't find his testes so advised going to the docs. This prompted us to check our 2.5 ds as well, and we couldn't find his either. Took both to the docs today and she couldn't find any of them sad at birth, and their 6 week check they were both checked and found according to their red books. Doc says this can't have been true as she would be able to feel the testicles in the groin, and there's no way they could have gone back up passed the pubic bone. I mentioned that both husband and I have felt ds1 before, and she said he may have had a very undeveloped one which managed to get back up. She said both boys scrotums are under developed and has referred them to the hospital.
I am so, so worried and annoyed we never thought to check. Not so much with ds2 as he still little, but for ds2 as he's 2.5 and from what Internet says you should operate before they are two. And I'm worried that maybe they don't have any at all? I'm.just so worried.
But also confused, is it likely that 4 different people at their baby checks would get it wrong? Is she wrong about them not being able to retract to be unpalpable? I've no reason to doubt her, she seemed pretty clued up. But then that strikes me as odd. Can any gps or health professionals advise?
Anyone any experience of this? She also said that it was unusual for them both to have it, and perhaps they could have a congenital problem. Which has made me more worried. Please make me feel better with solid hard fact in a positive direction!

OP, can't advise but just wanted to acknowledge your post. . This must be a really worrying time for you.

Have you posted this on the Children's Health board? You might get more informed responses there.

Bloody hell your GP sounds awful! Don't panic until you've heard from the expert- the urologist. A boy I know recently was found to have undescended testes at age 5! They weren't sure he even had any. Anyway, they operated, found them, brought them down and how was back at school a week later.

I can[t advise either but it seems odd that 4 people would be wrong...and remember that doctors are not ALWAYS right.

this link is quite good and explains a bit more about undescended or retracting testicles.

What Pumpkin said too! I jut read that it's often diagnosed at about 8!

Tescitlces that have gone back up I mean....

Just to reassure you about the age thing. I know 2 boys who had this done at 7 as it wasn't picked up before then. They are both fine.

Op my dh had this at 7. We have 4 kids.

Your GP sounds a prat.

Get referred.

Ds1 had both testicles down at his checks but at 12 months the doctor could only feel the left one.
We were referred to the hospital and the consultant could only feel the right one

Ds's retractable testicles thankfully had righted themselves by age 5.

My friends 7 yr old was due to have this op, went to have it done and the surgeon said no need, go home and they will come down on their own!

Testes can be anywhere from scrotum to groin to somewhere in the middle. Mostly they're descended at birth but sometimes they aren't and it's perfectly possible for them to retract, come down, and retract again.

DS1 had a sometimes there sometimes not there testis which I talked to a urologist about - advice from him was to wait and see as often they come down and stay down, but if at 8 or so it was still bouncing up and down he'd have a small day case operation to fix it.

Thanks for the replies, I'm worried sick :( I really shouldn't Google, but I have. It is unusual that both of them have both missing, so what if it is something more serious? Although it's so unusual I can't help but feel it's unlikely to be the case. With those of you who's children have had it, could they feel the testes in the groin and move them?

And what if they're infertile? That's my main worry, as well as them having some sort of hormone imbalance. Argh!