Is phimosis normal in children? These things you need to know

Phimosis in children is very common in clinical practice, and it is also a common phenomenon after many children are born. Whether phimosis is normal in children is also a concern of many parents. Generally speaking, phimosis in children is related to age. Some children may heal on their own, while others may not.

1. Generally, there is a slight adhesion between the foreskin and the head of the genital organ of a child, and the foreskin will cover the entire head of the genital organ, which is a normal phenomenon. However, if the foreskin still covers the entire head of the genital organ during puberty and cannot be turned up, it will become phimosis. Children with phimosis have difficulty in urinating, and a large amount of urine scale accumulates in the foreskin, which stimulates the foreskin to become inflamed and causes adhesion, which further aggravates the stenosis of the urethral opening. When urinating, a bubble bulges in front of the glans, and the urine cannot form a line, but can only drip. Therefore, children often cry and make a fuss, which is very painful. Long-term urination difficulties can also cause retrograde infection of the kidneys and bladder. The stimulation of foreskin urine scale often causes inflammation of the urethral opening, and long-term stimulation can also lead to penile cancer. Therefore, if a child is found to have phimosis, he should go to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment in time.

2. Phimosis is very common in children. As the child grows older, the foreskin opening will gradually expand, the foreskin adhesions will gradually separate, and the glans penis will slowly become visible. Generally speaking, if the foreskin opening of a boy over 5-6 years old is still very narrow, and during examination, the foreskin is gently turned upwards but the glans penis cannot be seen, most of the cases are true phimosis and should be treated surgically. Under normal circumstances, the foreskin of a child is slightly longer, covering the glans penis and the external opening of the urethra. This is a physiological phenomenon. As long as urination is normal, surgery is not required during childhood.

3. Children with phimosis should undergo early circumcision in the following circumstances: First, the foreskin opening is severely narrowed, the urination time is prolonged, the urine stream is thin, urination is difficult, and even acute urinary retention occurs; second, balanoposthitis occurs frequently and repeatedly; third, patients with congenital urinary tract malformations and prone to urinary tract infections need to undergo preventive circumcision; fourth, patients with a history of incarcerated phimosis, the best way to prevent incarceration is to undergo circumcision to remove the phimosis or excessively long foreskin.