Should I be pulling my toddler foreskin back and cleaning?

[strawberrycheesecake1989]

I’m a bit confused. Poor little toddler (20m) was grabbing his willy as if something was hurting him. I gently pulled the foreskin back just a bit and one bit looks really red and there also seems to be two white little spots. Anyone know what could be causing this?

he has baths regularly but I never clean inside/pull foreskin back when he’s in the bath.

Am I not doing something I should be?

please help! Feel really bad it must be painful for him

You can get infections under the foreskin. You cdd as n pull it back a bit to clean and also teach him how to do it himself. First line of treatment where we live is syringing salt water under the foreskin twice a day for a week to give it a good wash!

One never pulled back foreskin to clean either of my boys. If it’s sore I would try and see a GP, may have a sore/infection that needs treating

I mean I’ve never

I'd ask the GP to be sure, but I've never done it with my son

I've 3 boys and have never done that

No, you shouldn't, but if he's sore you need to take him to your GP.

Never force the skin back (this can lead to scarring, which can lead to permanent issues with the foreskin not retracting)

By about 5 or 6 years old the foreskin usually goes most of the way back. By this age you can explain to the child, and let them get on with it themselves.

If it's sore then that's an infection (balanitis). Very common, usually treated with creams. Call the GP in the morning.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/phimosis/#:~:text=A%20tight%20foreskin%20is%20normal,if%20their%20foreskin%20is%20tight.

Foreskin retraction is a natural process that varies with each boy, but it's unusual for it to happen before about 6 or 7. In many cases boys can't retract their foreskins before puberty (TMI warning - I couldn't!). Before it naturally occurs the general advice is not to pull it back

NO. It's attached for a reason. They sort out all that in the right time.

If you think, its a bit tighter than normal. Leave it alone and visit your GP.

No I don’t think it’s ‘tighter than normal’ I could just see that it was hurting him as he was grabbing it and saying ‘ow’ so I just gently pulled it back maybe an 1/8th of the way back and I saw redness and a little white spot.

thanks everyone, gave him a warm bath and dabbed some barrier cream on the top of his Willy before he went to bed. Will call gp in the morning.

thanks xx

The white spots sounds like a bit of smegma. As for those that say never retract this is my experience after having 4 boys and doing it both ways. The two youngest that we left alone ( not retracted )had lots of problems when they reached their mid teens ended up having to have medical intervention. The two oldest we started gentle retraction at bath time ( that was what you were told to do in those days and also what my mother used to do ) had no issues at all. I wish I hadn't listened to the new advice it would have saved my two youngest having to go through those embarrassing problems. I truly believe that foreskin just dose not decide to retract by itself unless the boy has a very loose one. It is a process that can take years one of my oldest boys didn't retract till he was about four.