Health Library Caring For Your Young Son's Uncircumcised PenisFrom Healthwise

Male babies who are not circumcised have a greater chance of urinary tract infections in the first year of life than babies who have been circumcised.¹ Keeping your young son's penis clean may help prevent these infections and other problems.

Retracting the foreskin for cleaning

Do not force the foreskin back over the tip of the penis. At first, a baby's foreskin may be difficult to pull back over the tip of the penis. After the first few years of life (though it may take somewhat longer), the foreskin will gradually become more retractable. By the time a boy is age 3, his foreskin is usually fully retractable. Up to this time, wash the outside of the penis with soap and water. Pushing your son's foreskin back too early can cause scar tissue formation and damage.

When the foreskin is easy to retract, clean under it regularly. To clean under the foreskin, gently push it as far as possible toward the body. Carefully wash the entire area with soap and water. When the area is cleaned and rinsed, replace the foreskin over the head of the penis.

A boy as young as age 3 can be taught to clean under his foreskin as a normal part of his hygiene. Before puberty, occasional cleaning is recommended. When a boy reaches puberty, he needs to clean under his foreskin daily.

If your son's foreskin does not fully retract by the time he reaches puberty, call your doctor for advice.

• Circumcision
• Growth and Development, Ages 1 to 12 Months
• Growth and Development, Newborn

Citations

1. Lerman SE, Liao JC (2001). Neonatal circumcision. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 48(6): 1539–1557.

Other Works Consulted

• Elder JS (2007). Anomalies of the penis and urethra. In RM Kliegman et al., eds., Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 18th ed., chap. 544, pp. 2253–2260. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier.

• Miller JP, Black TL (2006). Phimosis and paraphimosis. In MR Dambro, ed., Griffith's 5-Minute Clinical Consult, pp. 838–839. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.

Author:	Debby Golonka, MPH	Last Updated: February 19, 2008
Medical Review:	Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics Peter Anderson, MD, FRCS(C) - Pediatric Urology
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