My Uncircumcised 2-Year-Old Grimaces And Pulls On His Penis. Is Something Wrong?

Posting Date: 08/18/1999

Jeff: My two-year-old, uncircumcised son, who is still in diapers, recently started grabbing his crotch, and sort of bending over and grimacing. I think he does this when he is urinating.

I'm trying to figure out if he's in pain or what. As far as I can tell, his penis looks normal, but I have no experience with a foreskin.

Dr. Dean: Yeah, like most American men, neither do I.

To learn more, go to Circumcision: A Closer Look

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Most of the time, nothing is going on. This is an age when boys discover their penises and they just like to yank and poke. Maybe he's having fun.

Take the diaper off and watch him while he runs around so you'll know if his antics are associated with urination or anything else.

Mention it to your pediatrician, anyway, because it shouldn't go unnoted. Although, American pediatricians aren't quite up on the care of the foreskin, either.

By the way, leaving his diaper off can speed up potty training, too. Kids in diapers don't quite know what's going on when they pee. With the diaper off, all of a sudden they get it. Oh, that's what that warm, wet feeling is. They see the stream and how to aim, and they learn.

We're illogical when it comes to potty training. We don't really teach them the things they need to know.