[ ARC forum 2 ]
Written by IA at 28 Jan 2004 23:49:01: Re: phimosis
As an answer to: Re: phimosis written by Ivan at 23 Jan 2004 02:00:26:
That's a good idea. I've instructed him to do both, maybe i'll have him focus on pulling the foreskin forward.
>>Hi Halfclip and Ralsek,
>>Thanks for your responses.
>>Something happened yesterday and I want to get your input on it. While my son was bathing, he started screaming. I came to the bathroom and he was crying saying that he didn't want it to get stuck again. I guess that while he was playing with it and retracting it, he was able to see the head. I don't think he retracted the foreskin past the glans but he retracted it far enough so he was able to see the head. I asked him what was wrong and he was crying and said he was frightened that the head would get hard and then stuck, so he pulled the foreskin foreward again. I told him that I know that the experience he went through (paraphimosis) was very painful and scary for him. I also reassured him that his foreskin is stretching and that's a good thing. I reminded him not to be afraid and just to retract and play as much as he wants as long as it's comfortable and not painful.
>>I'm scared. Frankly, I want to avoid the paraphimosis from reoccuring.
>>Do you think that this bathtub incindent was dangerous??
>>>>Hi Ralsek,
>>>>The reason I was relieved when the ballooning diminished is because his
>>>>pediatrician informed me that ballooning could be very dangerous.
>>>NOt all balloning is the same. Urology books just mention "balooning" without qualifying it. Someone with a long but loose foreskin will see some balooning, since the foreskin overhang will trap some urine.
>>>What is important is that the opening be wide enough that it doesn't act as a sphincter.
>>>Note that many kids are instructed to pinch their foreskin tip once or twice while urinating to force urine to "wash" the space between foreskin and glans. (it also help keeps the foreskin loose).
>>>Common sense can help decide if the "balooning" is benign or extreme. If the foreskin tightens only after having exposed the meatus completely, then it si more than wide enough to not be a concern about dangerous balooning.
>>>But yes, any foreskin is a concern for hygiene, and the longer the foreskin, the more one has to "clean". But the concern isn't so big to lose sleep.
>How about encouraging him to do his stretching by pulling out from his body, rather than pulling it back over the glans. Either direction will loosen the foreskin up and stimulate growth, but he can do the outward pulling without fear of it getting caught and do it one-handed while doing other play.