Caring for your newborn son’s penis can be daunting depending on your experience level. First-time mothers more than others need such information to inspire a sense of satisfaction in the quality of care they give their children. The following will give tips on caring for circumcised and uncircumcised penises.

How to care for your baby’s circumcised penis

If you chose to have your son circumcised, the procedure is likely performed in the hospital before discharge or done afterward, usually in the second week after birth. 

After the procedure, a light dressing with petroleum jelly will be placed over the head. The next time the baby urinates, this dressing usually will come off. Some pediatricians recommend keeping a clean dressing over the area until it is fully healed, while others advise leaving it off. The important thing is to keep the area clean. If stool gets on the penis, wipe it gently.

After the circumcision has healed:                      

After the circumcision is healed, no additional care is needed. Occasionally a small piece of the foreskin remains. You should pull back this skin gently at every bath time. Examine the groove around the penis’ head and make sure it’s clean.

Some things to expect

The tip may look red for the first few days after circumcision. And you may notice a yellow secretion. Both mean that the area is healing normally. The redness and secretion disappear gradually within a week.

Note: If the redness persists or there is swelling or crusted yellow sores, there may be an infection. This does not happen often, but if you suspect an infection, consult your pediatrician.

How to care for an uncircumcised penis

In the first few months, you should simply clean and bathe your baby’s uncircumcised penis, like the rest of the diaper area. Initially, the foreskin is connected by tissue to the glans, or head, of the penis, so you shouldn’t try to retract it. Cleaning the penis with cotton swabs or antiseptics is not necessary.

The doctor will tell you when the foreskin has separated and can be retracted safely. This will not be for several months or years, and should never be forced; if you force the foreskin to retract before it is ready, you could cause painful bleeding and tears in the skin. After this separation occurs, retract the foreskin occasionally to gently cleanse the end of the penis.

Tips to help your son clean his uncircumcised penis as he gets older 

You’ll need to teach him what he must do to urinate and wash his penis. Teach him to clean his foreskin by:

• Gently pulling it back away from the head of the penis.
• Rinsing its head and the inside fold of the foreskin.
• Pulling the foreskin back over the penis’ head.