at what age should a boy be able to roll his foreskin back & forth?

Question

my son is 8 & is unable to. worried this may cause cleaning problems & lead to infections.

Answer 1

I found this excerpt at Mothering.com

"The tightness of the foreskin is a safety mechanism that protects the glans and urethra from direct exposure to contaminants and germs. The tight foreskin also keeps the boy's glans warm, clean, and moist, and when he is an adult, it will give him pleasure. As long as your son can urinate, he is perfectly normal. There is no age by which a child's foreskin must be retractable. Do not let your doctor or anyone try to retract your child's foreskin. Optimal hygiene of the penis demands that the foreskin of infants and children be left alone. Premature retraction rips the skin of the penis open and causes your child extreme pain. There is no legitimate medical justification for retraction. The child's discomfort is proof of that.

The attachment of the foreskin and glans is nature's way of protecting the undeveloped glans from premature exposure. Detachment is a normal physiological process that can take up to two decades to complete. By the end of puberty, the foreskin will have detached from the glans because hormones that are produced in great quantities at puberty help with the process. There is no age by which a child's foreskin must be fully separated from the glans."

So I wouldn't worry unless he complains of pain or other issues.

Answer 2

With most little boys the foreskin is adhered to the penis until they are about 3. After that it should be able to roll back freely.Sometimes the skin is a little too tight.A trip to the doctor should sort out if he needs a circumcision. This isn't always necessary,sometimes you just need to show him how to do it. The joys of fatherhood! This is down to you dad,mum is no use here! What ever you do don't force it,it will do more harm than good.

Answer 3

I have 2 son's aged 10 and 5. Neither of them can roll their foreskins back. I took the older one to the doctor when he was 9 because i was worried, they sent us to hospital who said don't worry its fine. Some boys are not able to until puberty so don't worry!

Answer 4

It is different for every boy. My son didn't retract until he was 5 years old. But, it's no big deal if your son isn't retracting, yet, as long as he's not having any problems with it. If it's not retracting, it is adhered to his glans and there is no need to worry about cleaning underneath or infections. It's kind of like your fingernail adhering to your finger. You wouldn't dream of pulling it off to clean underneath :D

Answer 5

Separation of the prepuce from the glans varies from boy to boy... but sometimes can take as long as 18 years. He should be fine. As long as he can urinate he's fine. Just tell him to retract the foreskin back as far as it will go, comfortably, to rinse it with just water to clean any smegma off and then return it to it's original position.

Answer 6

Some take longer to fully roll back. I don't exactly remember how old I was when I was able to fully roll mine back but I know that it shouldn't be forced and that it's perfectly normal for it to sometimes take longer for some kids. No worries. Here's a link with more info.

http://www.circumstitions.com/AAP-care.html

Just don't force it like some other people have suggested!

Answer 7

It varies from person to person. Some are not fully retractable until they are in early puberty. It shouldn't be forced. It'll happen when it's supposed to. All your son should be doing at this point is retracting it as far as it will comfortably go, rinsing and returning it cover the glans. No biggie.

Answer 8

I don't think mine fully retracted until I was closer to 10. Don't force it. He'll be fine. I'm in my 30's and have never had any problems.

Answer 9

It can cause problems later on in life,including making love and infections,you should go to your gp and they will advise you in what you should do.I think they can do a simple proceedure that will ease it.

Answer 10

hi,a boys foreskin can be rolled back from birth.any good midwife or health visitor should have told you to be doing this from birth at least twice a week,it helps things down there develop better and reduces tightness when the boy is older.you need to take him to see his gp.