marks in pants

[sandyposy]

hoping someone can shed some light ... my 3yr old DS, who baths daily and is potty trained, often has a little brownish mark in his underpants where his penis touches the fabric. It (sorry if TMI) smells a little bit, and I'm not sure if this is normal smegma, or something I need to get checked out. I'm an only child, not much experience of what's normal with kids' penises. My DH thinks it's OK but just wondered if other children have this.

My son's penis isn't sore at all, no redness or inflammation, and he has no trouble peeing.

Any insight greatly appreciated!

I have two boys and I have never seen a brown coloured discharge at the front of their underpants. I would take him to see the GP, along with his underpants, just to be safe - while I don't want you to worry, and it's probably nothing, brown discharge can be a sign of infection, so it is best to make an appointment asap.

many thanks NeverendingStoryteller. The marks are very small, which is why I've not done it yet, but agree with you ? time to get it checked out.

Is it worth checking he's putting his pants on the right way round?

well, he's not so good at getting his pants on solo, and as I always help him, I'm pretty sure it's not a skid! It's a very small mark, smaller than a pea, and is just where the end of his penis meets the pants. And sometimes yellowish rather than brown. I've done some more reading on smegma, and seems boys produce it from infancy, but all refs say it should be white. Dunno if it dries yellow/light brown? I guess best plan is to get it checked, but because he doesn't seem to have any soreness, redness or discomfort, thought I'd ask here first to see if it's something that's common or not.
Thanks for insights on this charming subject!