Advise please

[Cosmic]

I have a 3yr son and was wondering if and when he should be able to retract his foreskin for cleaning purposes?
He does fiddle with his bits which I know is not unusual but I get the impression he is having some discomfort in the area - he does appear to have an excessive amount of foreskin (IMO). I don't want to hurt him though or put him through more discomfort.
Any serious advice would be appreciated. Thanks

[sqad617]

It seems to be a foreskin day today...see Parenting.Excess foreskin is no big deal providing that it doesn't cause the following:
1Balanitis...infection under the foreskin causing swelling and pain....recurrent attacks may need circumcision.
2 Playful and experimental retraction of the foreskin and impossible to get back, resulting in swollen penis.

If your chilld has been circumcised the above cannot occur.

[KILLER4GS]

I think I will leave this one to Tetjam

[puddicat]

never have had to pull my childs foreskin back and forth leabve the wee lad alone, this a new entry into the mothering crap!!!

[Cosmic]

Thanks Sqad - He's not circumcised.

Should a 3yr old foreskin be able to be retracted though? As a mum with no experience of such things I don't know if there is specific age that retraction should naturally occur. Surely all boys/men should be able to retract at some point to enable cleaning? But is 3 too young? His dad was circumcised as a adult due to suffering from painful tightening and not being able to retract properly - could there be something hereditary?

[sqad617]

Well Cosmic, opinions differ here and I will give you mine. If your son is having no problems then leave his foreskin alone however much there is. There is no particular age at which you should be able to retract your foreskin, it usually comes by experimentation and the only problem with that is that he will retract it and not be able to get it back.....this is unusual though.As pudducat so eloquantly put it, leave well alone. Of course, if he starts to have infections (Balanitis) then my commentsi n my first answer come into effect.
Your GP might have a differing opinion though.