> # Re: Skin adhesion (or bridges) on my baby boy....

> Written by RJK at 28 Feb 2000 02:14:26:

> As an answer to: Re: Skin adhesion (or bridges) on my baby boy.... written by Marnie at 27 Feb 2000 02:44:35:

> Marnie, as I believe I said, my nephew's experience took place when he was about a month old (or less), when my sister took him for his first visit to the pediatrician after he was brought home from the hospital. Possibly because his circumcision was such a recent event, the adhesions weren't too firmly set up and it took just a few seconds (less than a minute) to break them up by hand.
> Please understand that I'm only repeating what I was told, was not there for the event, but my mother said he was pretty angry and yelled about it though it was quickly over. There was no way the procedure could have hurt him as much as the circumcision (which I'm sure was nearly always done without anaesthetic in those days, and in his case was done with a clamp) did. There was no bleeding from the breakup of adhesions and he was totally healed pretty quickly; Sis and Mother saw to it when they bathed him that no further adhesions were allowed to form, but I don't think there was any tendency at all for this to happen once the whole area had healed. I think (and hope!) your son will experience very little pain if the job is carefully done with an anaesthetic cream and, once it is healed, there should be no problem, and certainly no pain. It's quite possible a baby will make considerable fuss when his penis is handled, especially if he has already been circumcised, but quite a bit of this can probably be interpreted as anger at the personal invasion rather than a response to pain. However, since there's no sure way to ask questions and get answers from a child of that age, I wouldn't want to be too dogmatic in speaking for what he feels. I think you are on the right track to discuss things with your pediatrician friend who is willing to do the job for you using anaesthetic cream. I also think it is advisable to take the needed remedial action now rather than delay it to age 3 or 4 or even teenage, because if you act now it will be over and totally forgotten before the kid can form any lasting memory of it. But it's true too that you don't need to panic and rush into any course of action (or inaction!) right now, since this isn't a life-threatening condition, just a real annoyance that can only be expected to become more annoying the longer it persists. You may consider yourself "dizzy" but most folks probably wouldn't; you only want to do what's best for your son. I think it's good you have a friendly pediatrician close at hand you feel you can rely on. Friends of that sort are worth more than diamonds! Good luck & best wishes. RJK.
> >Thanks, RJ...
> >Your information was very helpful. I agree that these may not separate on their own. I mean, the skin is really stuck there. I guess the thought of having the skin pulled away from the glans is making me a little dizzy...but, you are right that I probably don't want to wait (if that's the course I choose) since I won't be any less dizzy when he's 3, 4 or even a teenager.
> >I have spoken to a pediatrician friend who said he will do it for me. He said that he will use the EMLA cream that is supposed to numb the area pretty well. I am going to ask my regular pediatrician for a referral to a pediatric urologist first before I do anything, though. It's strange, there is clearly a difference of opinion among Dr's about the appropriate treatment for this condition. Of course, that only makes it worse for me because it's left in my hands to make the decision. I'm so scared to make the wrong one -- either way.
> >About your nephew (it was your nephew, right?) Did he experience much pain with the procedure? How long did the procedure take? I hope I don't appear to be prying, it's just that I am terribly confused.
> >Thank you so very much for taking the time to help me. I am very impressed with the people on this board. I appreciate all of the help and the honesty that I've witnessed.
> >--Marnie
> >>Marnie, I would hope the doctor who says "leave it alone, it will detach by itself, etc.". . is right, but that unfortunately isn't always the case. Sometimes the darned adhesions persist past adolescence in the form of skin bridges that are a real nuisance. Young men have found them painful and inconvenient, and have had to go to a doctor to get them cut loose, which is no big deal but at that age takes several days to heal. So I would seriously question the wiisdom of leaving them totally alone. On the other hand, the doctor who says "You gotta rip 'em apart, etc.". . . sounds unnecessarily rough, even violent, and that's no way to treat an organ as sensitive and vital as the penis. When my sister took her newborn son to the doctor for his first checkup after they'd left the hospital, the pediatrician found some adhesions (the kid had been circ'd somewhat "long"), and he broke them up to the strong, loud objection of the baby, then told my sister to make sure they didn't recur by always pulling what was left of the foreskin all the way back, past the corona, every time she bathed him. That was the end of any problem and he grew up normal in the penis department. It seems to me that neither of the two doctors you consulted gave you the best possible advice. What you need, it appears, is a doctor you can trust who is willing to break the adhesions apart GENTLY, preferably under an anaesthetic cream, keeping pain and trauma to a minimium, then sending you on your way with enough antibiotic ointment to put on the raw areas until they heal (which, in a kid that age, should not be more than a few days, certainly less than a week). Once the adhesions are broken up and the penis is healed, that should be the end of that and you and the baby can go on living a normal life, and forget this problem for good. My own inclination would certainly be to get rid of the adhesions now, at an age when the procedure will be quickly forgotten, rather than postpone any remedial action in the hope it won't be necessary. It's a pity a pediatrician didn't advise you properly within a few days after the baby's birth--the problem could have been stopped before it ever arose. But you can still make a quick remedy of things if you secure the help of a pediatrician you can trust, who knows what she/he is doing. I sincerely hope you can get this unpleasant matter out of the way and move on to enjoying your baby and helping him grow. Best wishes, Bob.
> >>>Hi...I need help...
> >>>My baby boy was cir'd at a day old. Now he's 10 months old and it appears that the skin has grown back where the "ridge" should be.
> >>>I consulted with two different doctors and got two different answers. One says "leave it alone, the skin will detach by itself"..another says "you gotta rip the skin apart otherwise it will get worse."
> >>>What should I do? I dread the thought of putting my son through this "ripping" procedure since I understand they do not use anesthesia. Is there anyone out there who has been through this. I really need help cuz I've been crying over this for days....
> >>>Thanks...
> >>>--Marnie

> Answers:

> - Re: Skin adhesion (or bridges) on my baby boy.... Marnie 2/28/2000 17:23 (0)

ARC forum main index
forum1 index
page1 /page2

The Origins of a Taboo