What should I do if my child’s penis is red and swollen?

A friend of mine has a very young child. But when she was washing the child's genitals, she found that the penis was red and swollen. After taking the child for a check-up, she found that these problems were caused by balanitis. So why do babies have balanitis problems? How should we treat children when they encounter balanitis? Let’s learn about this issue together today.

Infants and young children may also develop balanitis. It is mostly caused by diapers that are not breathable or fecal contamination, mainly urine, the release of bacteria in feces, coupled with high temperature, humidity and the fact that most infants and young children have too long foreskins. Bacteria, urine, smegma and too long foreskin cause the foreskin and glans to become red, swollen, hot and painful.

Although the causes of balanitis in children and adults are different, the principles of preventive care are the same. Children should wear loose pants on weekdays and keep the local area clean and hygienic. Children with long foreskin should turn over and pull back the foreskin when bathing, and then remove the smegma. The foreskin and glans should also be gently rinsed with clean water. If there are recurrent foreskin and glans infections, circumcision should be considered. Since infants and young children are relatively young, although balanitis is rare, it should be noted that prevention is most important for infants and young children in the developmental period.

So how do you treat this problem?

1. Remove irritants.

2. When erosion and exudation occur, apply wet compress with 3% boric acid solution or 0.05% berberine solution.

3. Anti-infection treatment: use antifungal, anti-trichomonas and other drugs for different pathogens.

4. If the condition is caused by allergic factors, apply topical corticosteroid preparations.

Not only is it necessary to receive timely treatment, but also to pay attention to the fact that when children are young, there are more wrinkles on their penis, so special attention needs to be paid when cleaning, and the child should be cleaned thoroughly. At the same time, it is also important to note that it is best to clean your child after each urination, which is more hygienic.