Jessicah’s adorable two-year-old son, Damon
My 2 year old intact son, Damon, woke up on Thanksgiving morning complaining that his penis hurt.
I took off his diaper to find the bottom of his penis red and slightly swollen. I figured it was just irritated from his diaper, so I decided just to let him air out a bit.
Diagnosis: yeast infection
When it started getting more swollen around noon, I called his pediatrician. She said that it sounded like it could possibly be a yeast infection and suggested Epsom salt baths and Lotrimin.
Later that evening, though, after an Epsom salt bath, pus began oozing from his penis.
I immediately took him to the ER because it looked scary and I haven’t gone through something like this before, so I wasn’t one hundred percent sure what to do.
The ER doctor checked him over and confirmed that it was a yeast infection. He said “It’s not really a big deal. You handled it appropriately,” and then left to get the discharge papers.
When he returned, though, he said something that floored me. He told me, “I’m not saying your son is dirty, but his foreskin is. I would suggest getting him circumcised to avoid any future problems. When you clean him, you have to pull the foreskin down and REALLY get under there good with some soap.”
I was so surprised that I was being told this that all I got out in response was, “Uh… No… You don’t do that, and we’re not doing that…”
Damon’s discharge paperwork.
He suggested talking it over with Damon’s pediatrician (see below) once more before leaving. Even though he specifically said it was a yeast infection, the discharge papers had “excess foreskin” listed for what the cause of the problem was.
So…did I follow his advice?
Of course not, because I know better. When a boy is born, his foreskin is fused to his penis like a thumbnail is fused to a thumb. Parents are never supposed to pull the foreskin back to clean. Instead, the foreskin keeps anything from getting under there. The first person to ever pull it back should be the boy himself. Once he can do this, all you have to do is teach him to pull back, rinse with a little water, and pull it forward again. That’s it. It’s not rocket science. The foreskin is not dirty like my ER doc said it is.
There’s also no such thing as ‘excess foreskin.’ Some boys have more, some have less, but they’re put there for a reason.
I also know that you should never, ever use soap under the foreskin. This can cause irritation, just like with girls.
It looked scary, but it was back to normal in no time
Epsom salts are a cheap, natural, and effective cure for yeast infections and many other common ailments.
For the next day and a half, I applied the Lotrimin twice daily and he was fine. Completely back to normal.
His pediatrician was shocked too when I told her the story about what happened and literally rolled her eyes. She said that she found it to be “barbaric.” She said she was furious and that she would contact the ER doctor herself.
I can’t properly express how mad this entire situation made me feel, either. Why would a trained medical professional suggest such a permanent solution to such a temporary problem?
So while it looked scary, it actually wasn’t as bad as it seemed. I think it’s important for every parent to know how to handle this situation and be aware that circumcision is not necessary. Especially not for a simple yeast infection.
His pediatrician was shocked. It was 'barbaric.' She was furious and contacted the ER doctor.Click To Tweet
- Jessicah’s Story: “I’m not saying your son is dirty, but his foreskin is” - January 11, 2016
Sylvia says
SO sad- but since I work ER, I see this happen every day. Doctors have NO clue regarding intact care, and frequently recommend “retracting and cleaning with soap”, which is opposite of what they should recommend (NO retraction and NO soap!). It makes me SO angry and upset!!! I’m working on educating the physicians I work with!!
Hannah says
Thanks for sharing! It sure is hard to come up with something to say to a doctor’s bad advice in the moment, isn’t it? I hope that your pediatrician was able to talk a little sense into the ER doc.
Frank McGinness says
Doctor, would you use soap and water in the mouth? How about the Vagina? No. So the interior foreskin is mucosa also, which maintains a pH balance so only water, if at all.
Sharon Schlicher, Midwife says
I want to know if she really did contact the ER doctor and said something to him. I say this because there is a hierarchy where docs are concerned and ER docs consider themselves at the top of the heap. A lowly pediatrician may never get a single nod as to what her “opinion” is about foreskin. But, I would applaud her for trying.
concerned cynic says
To head off yeast infections in the future, remove sugar, honey, fruit juice and baked goods from his diet until he is out of diapers.
Wyandotte says
Good advice.
Jennifer R says
The ER doctor should be reported for soliciting unnecessary cosmetic surgery.
Rebecca Spratling says
Exactly! I guess because he can’t enjoy sex fully then no male should. What an idiot. Just proves any idiot can become a doctor in this country if you can pay for the schooling.
Mrs j's mom says
Or have your child circumcised
Steinn says
Why?
Mrs j's mom says
This is a henous act
Mrs j's mom says
Are you for real?
Carly says
I have several similar stories, none of which even involved my kid’s penis!
When my now 10 year old was 2, he ended up in the ER with dehydration due to what I believe was the flu. First the ER doc insisted that she could not take a urine sample from an uncut boy without a catheter because it wouldn’t be “clean” (I asked her if they also cath’d girls and she didn’t answer) and that his foreskin would have to be fully retracted to do so. Which obviously makes no sense because if urine can get out, clearly a tiny tube can get in. After several hours with no urine (he was just that dehydrated), I agreed to let a nurse cath him while I assisted to make sure they didn’t retract him. Blood tests later came back normal but they never tested him for the flu. They diagnosed him with an “unknown virus” and the ER doc had the nerve to hint that not being circumcised was the cause. Because apparently foreskin causes stomach bugs.
Also had a doc recommend circumcision for impetigo in his diaper area. I asked her if she intended to amputate his testicles and behind too because it was everywhere! And given what the sores looked like on his foreskin, I imagine it would have been a lost worse if it had been on the rest of his penis instead.
Mrs j's mom says
Sorry you feel this way
Frank McGinness says
Carly, Good story! Gosh, you have to keep dodging them, like you were holding a football, your son.
Impetigo is a new reason I haven’t heard previously.
About catheter, reminds of the man who went in for heart bypass, and woke up circumcised and no heart operation. They said he had to circumcised to do the catheter. And said he had no grounds to sue but he did and won (or settled?).
Noelani says
Your son was very lucky that you knew what you were doing! I have heard of circumcision being performed because there was diaper rash on the outside of the foreskin. This would have been at least 30 years ago and the mother really didn’t have anyone to turn to for help. I also know that there are many times a child is seen for something has nothing to do with his penis, but the doc manages to turn it into that. A radiologist here where I live was x-raying a baby and decided to see if his foreskin retracted. The idiot spent several minutes trying to force it back as far as could. The next day, he called the pediatrician and said “I got the foreskin back quite a bit farther, for you”, as if he’d done something wonderful! The ped told him that baby;s foreskins weren’t supposed to be retracted and didn’t need to be cleaned under. The radiologist said “Common sense would tell me otherwise”. The ped told me the story, but wouldn’t tell me the baby’s name. If he had, I’d have called the parents and told them who to call to take legal action against that nitwit. What was done to their baby wasn’t just medically inappropriate, it was a violent sexual assault. One day, Americans will stop giving people with MD behind their names the right to sexually assault and mutilate babies, and treat them the same as anyone else who would do such a thing.
Beth D says
Gosh— how ignorant of the ER doc — So happy Mom knew the proper intact care guidelines and had a supportive Ped who also practices safe intact care —
If Mom brought a little girl in would the ER doc have recommended amputation of her vulva, labia, or clitorus for a treatable condition?
Forcibly retracting the clitoral foreskin or penile foreskin will causing damage— I wish American doctors knew what the rest of the medical doctors in the world already know– foreskin is not a medical condition that requires treatment.
Heather says
LOVE this. THANK YOU!
Took my son for his 2 year well check last week and I was fretting the whole time because I HAD to say, “No foreskin touching AT ALL, please and thank you!” right before the doc opened his diaper. Phew. It went fine and she put up no fight and said, “Oh yeah that’s fine!”
But then she went on…”The only reason we’d need to check the foreskin is if you ever came in with an infant or toddler boy UTI. Then we’d have to catheterize him…”
Ugh. I know enough to know that’s NOT the case. I’d never let any medical professional cath (penetrate!) my child unless my child was going into surgery and ALREADY under anaesthesia! Clean catch or bagging it is fine.
But honestly, I was just glad I didn’t have to put up a fight that day and figured if he gets a UTI… we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Maybe I’ll send the office some info until then. But it doesn’t make any darn sense. My daughter had a UTI as a toddler. They didn’t have to cath her.
Anyway, my son has had a bad diaper rash yeast infection, and the same doc also recommended Lotrimin and A&D. Worked!
Rosalie Lu Weber says
Report the stupid physician to the medical board. Stupid people should not be in position to give harmful advice.
Noelani says
Don’t worry, it’s highly unlikely that your son will ever have a UTI! Those studies that suggested circumcision protected against UTI were flawed, and even they only suggested that about 1% of intact boys would get a UTI, and only as newborns. When they say “not circumcising creates a ten-fold increase” it sounds serious, but when you see how small the numbers are, it doesn’t sound very impressive! Of my four sons, all in their 20s and 30s now, the three who are intact have never had a single one, but the one who is circumcised has had three, two as a child and one as an adult. The UTI thing is just another feeble excuse American docs came up with to justify something they were all ready doing. The children who get the most UTIs, by far, are the girls! My daughters and I have all had multiple UTIs but not one suggests getting anything cut off to prevent them!
You’re doing a great job as a mom!
Jennifer Tate says
This is my daughter and grandson. I am SO proud of her for standing firm on what she believes in and what she knows is right. Also for continuously researching and keeping herself educated and my grandson safe, happy, and protected.
Damon is one very lucky little boy to have Jessicah as his Momma and I’m lucky to get to be hers!
Frederick Rhodes says
Report this incompetent and negligent ER doctor for his/her hateful, sexist and subversive misdiagnoses of excess foreskin, trying to fool parents by body shaming, and fool the insurance companies into believing there is such a thing that causes yeast infections. He is a danger to unsuspecting young parents and may try to convince someone to sexually assault, traumatize and mutilate their child because of his misinformed delusional thought processes.
Mrs j's mom says
This could have all been avoided, so sad
Nonya says
Sounds like you’re a pro mutilation type person. I, a woman, have had yeast infections. Should *I* get circumcised? Why or why not?
Barry-Susan Rutherford says
So dumb that the dr. thinks the yeast infectios is caused by “dirty foreskin”… what?! Intact boys are easier to care for than girls. The foreskin, when left alone, has its own flora and good bacteria, just like girls. Babies easily catch yeast infections while breastfeeding if the mom is on an antibiotic, or if the baby is on an antibiotic. Clotrimazole clears it up after just a few applications. And get some probiotics. Easy peasy.
Also, maybe write an article about ballooning? Baby boys can yank/irritate themselves and the foreskin goes thru a natural separating process from time to time. It can appear irritated or “ballooned”, and what can look like pus is actually the body flushing out smegma and natural adhesion stuff. Alarming the first time you see it but it resolves within a day. Please docs, educate thyselves!!! Leave baby boys alone
Barry-Susan Rutherford says
http://www.drmomma.org/2011/06/ballooning-in-intact-child.html
Noelani says
I’m glad you shared this! I think sometimes we are afraid to share such stories, like admitting that problems with an intact penis may happen means that circumcision is preferable. NO body part is completely free of potential for some kind of problem. An intact penis is actually one of the least likely to have a problem, but it is possible, and parents need to know that, and what to do about it. Otherwise, they can be at the mercy of a physician who knows less about it than they do and prescribes surgery to treat a minor condition!
My oldest son had a problem which I would bet that most American docs would prescribe surgery for. It happened at age five, when we were on a ski vacation. His foreskin had been retractile for a couple of years, by then. He retracted it a lot so I had always rinsed it during his bath, myself, but had turned that chore over to him, a few weeks earlier. He came to us this one night and said his penis hurt and showed us. It was red and quite swollen, and there was a lot of white matter on his glans and the inside of the foreskin. I was very frightened that it was something serious, but my intact husband, who was also a doctor, said not to worry, that it looked more serious than it was. He rinsed it with warm water and put some ointment on it. My son said it all ready felt better. The next morning, the redness and swelling was almost gone. There was still a lot of white matter, but my husband explained that it wasn’t pus, but just a lot of shed cells, due to the irritation. We repeated the treatment in the morning and that night our son showed us and said “Look! It’s all better, now!”. I cautioned him about touching it with dirty hands, and reminded him about rinsing under his foreskin during his bath, which he admitted that he hadn’t really been doing, as he told me he had. Nothing like that ever happened again, with him, or his two intact brothers. If only little girls had so few such things!