Is it possible to dilate the baby's foreskin on its own?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor II Cao Thi Thanh - Pediatrician - Pediatrics - Neonatology Department - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital
Circumcision is to widen the foreskin of the baby to clean and make it easier for the baby to urinate. However, this method needs to be done daily and persistently. Parents can dilate their baby's foreskin at home under the guidance of a doctor.

1. What is foreskin dilatation?

Circumcision is a conservative treatment method in the treatment of physiological stenosis of the foreskin in children.
Method of manual foreskin dilation is relatively simple and easy to perform: gently stroke the body of the penis with your hand until an erection, then use your fingers to clamp the holster to gently stroke the glans back until you feel it. If you feel pain, stop.
In some cases of foreskin constriction, topical medications can be used to help dilate the foreskin, minimizing pain during the procedure.

2. Where is the baby's foreskin dilatation?

Usually, doctors will guide parents conservative treatment by dilating the baby's foreskin (medical treatment). If conservative treatment fails, then surgical intervention in the hospital is necessary.

3. What cases can apply the method of foreskin dilatation?

In fact, narrowing of the foreskin in newborns is not a dangerous and difficult disease to treat. In most cases, the foreskin will heal on its own and return to normal as you get older.
If a young child with foreskin stenosis does not have any complications, parents should start with home treatments.
Especially in the case of children under 3 years old, often with physiological narrowing of the foreskin, they can dilate the baby's foreskin without dilation at the hospital. Family members just need to gently slide the foreskin back to make it easier for the baby to urinate and dilate the foreskin when bathing.
In some cases, the narrowing is too tight, causing the baby to have to push hard, cry when urinating, so it is advisable to dilate the urinary opening a little to help the baby urinate more easily. This process is done in the hospital, there may be a local anesthetic spray before dilation to reduce pain if the baby's foreskin is too narrow.
The dilation process takes about 3-5 minutes, is very gentle and painless, however, some children have too narrow foreskin, when dilating the baby's foreskin may bleed and hurt more. After the surgery, the doctor will give more pain relievers and topical drugs (which are local anti-inflammatory drugs) to help relieve the pain quickly, so parents should not be too worried. Foreskin stenosis is a narrowing of the opening of the foreskin, making it impossible for the foreskin to come out of the glans.
After being dilated at the hospital, parents should continue to actively help the baby to dilate at home, the condition of the foreskin will improve and thus will also avoid the need for surgical intervention.
In cases where the baby is too big with a fibrous foreskin, too tight, it should not be dilated because the results are limited, it is easy to bleed the foreskin. In these cases, circumcision should be performed. However, the indication for circumcision also needs to be considered because not all cases after circumcision are okay. Surgery always has its own complications such as bad scars after cutting, bleeding of the foreskin, wound infection..

4. Foreskin dilatation technique

At the hospital: Performed by medical staff
First time: Manual circumcision with local anesthesia with Xylocain 2% gel, or 10% Lidocaine spray anesthetic, wash off residues and lubricate the condom. glans with Betamethasone 0.05% cream. In difficult cases, just a slight dilation shows the urinary hole. Prescription for: pain reliever (paracetamol) + Betamethasone 0.05% cream Self dilating baby at home:
Parents dilating baby according to instructions, applying Bethamethasone 0.05% cream 1-2 times a day, in 12 months.

5. Some notes when dilating baby's foreskin at home

Do not try to pull off the foreskin of the baby because the risk of tearing and bleeding will cause fibrosis later, leading to pathological narrowing of the foreskin. Parents just need to gently pull down the baby's foreskin, when the baby's foreskin has been removed (partially or completely), parents can wash and dry it. After that, parents remember to pull the foreskin back to normal to cover the head of the penis, otherwise it will cause strangulation of the foreskin. After dilation of the foreskin, parents need to clean the foreskin of the child daily, and at the same time monitor the signs of swelling and redness of the foreskin after dilatation to promptly detect complications, thereby taking measures. suitable handling.
As a key area of ​​Vinmec Health system, Pediatrics Department always brings satisfaction to customers and is highly appreciated by industry experts with:
Gathering a team of top doctors and nurses in Pediatrics : consists of leading experts with high professional qualifications (professors, associate professors, doctorates, masters), experienced, worked at major hospitals such as Bach Mai, 108.. Doctors All doctors are well-trained, professional, conscientious, knowledgeable about young psychology. In addition to domestic pediatric specialists, the Department of Pediatrics also has the participation of foreign experts (Japan, Singapore, Australia, USA) who are always pioneers in applying the latest and most effective treatment regimens. . Comprehensive services: In the field of Pediatrics, Vinmec provides a series of continuous medical examination and treatment services from Newborn to Pediatric and Vaccine,... according to international standards to help parents take care of their baby's health from birth to childhood. from birth to adulthood Specialized techniques: Vinmec has successfully deployed many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in Pediatrics more effective: neurosurgery - skull surgery, stem cell transplantation. blood in cancer treatment. Professional care: In addition to understanding children's psychology, Vinmec also pays special attention to the children's play space, helping them to have fun and get used to the hospital's environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical treatment.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.