Treatment for inflammation of the foreskin in a child. Balanitis in a child: what is it? How and how to treat balanoposthitis in children? Medicines and their use

Balanoposthitis is an acute inflammation of the glans penis and the upper part of the foreskin. Every second male encounters this disease, and balanoposthitis is much more common in boys than in adult men.

We’ll talk about what balanoposthitis is, why boys suffer from inflammation more often than adults and how the disease manifests itself - we’ll talk about this in more detail in the article.

Boys of primary preschool age and preschool children suffer from phimosis, that is, a narrowing of the foreskin of a physiological nature - this is a normal phenomenon that does not in any way prevent the child from emptying the bladder and taking care of personal hygiene of the genital organ. As a rule, by the time of puberty, this phenomenon goes away on its own, and the foreskin is easily separated from the head, exposing it.

With the onset of puberty (12-14 years), the secretion of the preputial glands, smegma, begins to be actively released. This substance is white or yellowish in color, with a thick consistency, which is easily washed off from the head of the penis during hygiene procedures.

If by the age of 12 the foreskin is not separated from the head of the penis, smegma accumulates under the skin, creating an excellent breeding ground for the active growth and reproduction of pathogenic bacteria. As a result of this, both the foreskin and the glans become inflamed, which indicates the development of balanoposthitis.

Of course, the accumulation of smegma under the foreskin itself is not the cause of the development of an acute inflammatory process; this condition is accompanied by a number of predisposing factors:

non-compliance with the rules of personal intimate hygiene– young children especially often touch their external genitalia, not always with clean hands;
wearing underwear made of synthetic fabrics, tight, out of size;
use of aggressive detergents for washing children's underwear, including the use of various scented fabric softeners and conditioners;
choosing the wrong size diapers for your baby(too tight);
elevated urine glucose levels– sugar crystals excreted in the urine severely irritate the mucous membranes of the genital organs, causing unbearable itching. A child, scratching his genitals, often gets an infection under the foreskin and balanoposthitis occurs;
washing the child's genitals with detergents too often, which leads to the washing away of the upper lipid layer, which acts as a protective barrier.

The most common causes of inflammation of the head and foreskin are the accumulation of smegma and urine under the skin and the penetration of microbes there. In infants, the development of the inflammatory process can be facilitated by diaper rash and diaper dermatitis, most often if the mother does not carefully monitor her son’s intimate hygiene and rarely changes the baby’s diaper.

Important! When washing boys after a bowel movement, try to move from front to back. This is necessary so that E. coli and other pathogenic bacteria excreted in feces do not get from the perianal folds to the urethra.

Types of inflammation

The inflammatory process can affect only the head of the penis - in this case, balanitis occurs, or only the foreskin - posthitis, but most often both the head and the foreskin are involved in the pathological process, which leads to the development of balanoposthitis.

Depending on the duration of the disease, there are:

acute form - the inflammatory process lasts from 3 to 7 days;
chronic form - the inflammatory process continues for more than 1 month with frequent relapses and short-term subsidence of the pathology.

The acute form of balanoposthitis is divided into several types, which is presented in more detail in the table:

Type of disease	What is it characterized by?
Erosive balanoposthitis	Ulcerative lesions of varying sizes and depths form on the surface of the glans and under the foreskin, which heal poorly and can become secondarily infected.
Purulent balanoposthitis	Ulcerative neoplasms fester, become inflamed, and pus is released from the wounds. The tissues of the foreskin and the head are swollen, sharply painful, urination is impaired and causes severe pain. In addition, the child’s body temperature most often rises to 38 degrees or above.
Simple balanoposthitis	Redness and swelling of the glans penis and foreskin, accompanied by cramps and pain in the patient

How to recognize the disease: the first symptoms of balanoposthitis

Acute inflammation of the head of the penis and foreskin, as a rule, occurs suddenly and sharply; clinical symptoms can be pronounced or blurred, depending on the degree of tissue damage and the individual characteristics of the body.

The main signs of balanoposthitis in boys are:

severe swelling of the glans penis and foreskin;
tissue hyperemia and increased local temperature;
itching and severe pain at the site of inflammation - young children constantly strive to touch the genitals, thereby causing even greater pain;
enlarged inguinal lymph nodes;
pain during urination – urine coming into contact with inflamed areas of tissue causes a strong burning sensation and increased pain in the child.

If at this stage the child is not provided with qualified assistance, then simple balanoposthitis may become complicated by erosive and then purulent. With an erosive pathological process, the skin around the glans penis begins to peel off, and bleeding, weeping, painful wounds appear on the surface of the glans and under the foreskin.

Associated symptoms of inflammation of the head of the penis and foreskin in a child are:

moodiness;
constant crying;
sleep disturbance;
difficulty urinating – this often results in acute cystitis or urethritis;
increase in body temperature.

Diagnosis of the disease

If you notice any of the symptoms described above in your child, do not delay visiting a doctor. A pediatric surgeon deals with similar diseases of boys, who conducts consultations in any clinic in the city.

As a rule, making a diagnosis is not difficult - when examining the external genital organs of a boy, the doctor notices a sharp swelling and hyperemia of the head of the penis and foreskin, their pain when trying to palpate, and when retracting the foreskin around the head, an accumulation of a thick mass of yellow or white color with a pronounced unpleasant smell.

To clarify the situation and select high-quality medications, it is additionally necessary to conduct a number of studies:

urethral swab;
blood analysis;
Analysis of urine;
PCR;
Ultrasound.

At the appointment, the doctor assesses the severity of the pathological process and prescribes treatment for the child, which can be carried out on an outpatient basis (most often) or in a hospital, if the inflammatory process has become purulent and there are signs of general intoxication of the body. In the video in this article, a specialist explains in what cases it is necessary to place a child in a hospital, and what treatment will be given to the boy.

Methods of treating the disease

If you consult a specialist in a timely manner, treatment of balanoposthitis is not difficult and can easily be carried out at home. The basis of therapy for simple acute balanopolstitis is washing the foreskin and head of the penis with antiseptic solutions - Miramistin, Furacilin, Chlorhexidine, and a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate.

Below are detailed instructions for the procedure:

Before any manipulations with the boy’s inflamed genitals, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water twice - this will prevent additional infection from occurring to the child.
Prepare in advance an antiseptic solution at room temperature and a sterile syringe without a needle.
Draw 2 ml of antiseptic into the syringe.
Carefully insert the tip of the spitz into the hole in the foreskin at the head of the penis and slowly release the solution - during the procedure you will see how the antiseptic spreads over the entire surface of the head and penis under the foreskin, causing the penis to increase slightly in size. Do the procedure 3-4 times.
Apply a sterile gauze pad to the head of the penis and put clean, ironed cotton panties on the boy.

In most cases, such actions are enough to help the child forget about pain and inflammation. If you follow all the doctor’s recommendations and maintain the boy’s personal intimate hygiene, balanoposthitis disappears in 3-5 days without a trace.

Important! If you use a solution of potassium permanganate for rinsing, prepare it in advance and be sure to filter it through several layers of gauze before use. This is necessary to prevent potassium permanganate crystals from coming into contact with the delicate mucous membranes of the child’s genitals, which can cause severe tissue burns. The solution should have a faint pink color.

Antibiotic therapy

How to treat purulent balanoposthitis? If the treatment methods described above do not help and the disease progresses, complicated by a purulent process, then the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics cannot be avoided.

Important! Before prescribing an antibiotic to a boy with balanoposthitis, the doctor will necessarily give a referral to take a smear (smegma) from under the foreskin for bacterial culture. Such a study will make it possible to accurately identify the causative agent of the infection and select an effective antibacterial or antifungal agent (if the inflammation is caused by yeast-like fungi, for example).

Sometimes only local treatment, for which Levomekol ointment is used, is sufficient. The drug contains the antibiotic Methyluracil, which effectively destroys gram-positive and gram-negative flora.

If purulent balanoposthitis is accompanied by pain and enlargement of the inguinal lymph nodes and is complicated by cystitis or urethritis, the boy is prescribed an antibiotic for oral administration - in the form of tablets, suspension or capsules, depending on age and tolerance. The duration of the course of antibiotic therapy in this case is at least 5 days, sometimes up to 10 days, depending on the pathogen and the severity of the disease.

Symptomatic treatment

Since inflammation of the foreskin and head of the penis in a child is accompanied by severe pain and general moodiness of the patient, to relieve discomfort it is recommended to give the baby one of the painkillers based on Paracetamol or Ibuprofen:

Nurofen;
Nise;
Panadol;
Efferalgan;
Cefekon D (rectal suppositories).

Analgesics can be used for no longer than 3 days, making sure to maintain an interval of 4 hours between doses.

Transition of the disease into a chronic form

Chronic inflammation of the glans penis and foreskin in boys occurs if the acute form of the disease was not fully treated or the therapy was initially incorrect. This often happens when parents self-medicate or immediately start giving their child an antibiotic without knowing the results of bacterial culture of the discharge.

Perhaps balanoposthitis was provoked by a fungal nature and the antibiotic is not only ineffective in this case, but also helps the fungi to multiply more actively, as it kills the child’s immunity. To avoid getting into such a situation, it is important to immediately seek medical help and strictly follow all medical recommendations - the cost of self-medication may be too high.

Chronic balanoposthitis occurs in two forms:

hypertrophic ulcerative– long-term non-healing ulcers appear on the head of the genital organ, which lead to modifications in the tissue structure;
adhesive balanoposthitis– bleeding wounds appear on the surface of the head of the penis, covered with painful crusts that stick to the healthy skin of the foreskin and prevent it from moving. This condition is accompanied by severe pain, swelling and general malaise of the patient.

The insidiousness of the chronic inflammatory process is that the disease is practically not curable by conservative methods (washing, lotions, ointments, etc.). Of course, the symptoms of inflammation may disappear for a short time, but at any “convenient” opportunity the disease makes itself felt again. As a result of this, the child becomes nervous, irritable, and suffers from insomnia.

It is possible to save a boy from chronic balanoposthitis only through surgical intervention - during the operation, the doctor incises the foreskin or removes part of it, which makes it possible to carry out hygienic procedures for the genital organ in full and thoroughly wash off the smegma, without giving microbes a chance to provoke an inflammatory process.

Important! Surgery is performed on boys only after the acute inflammatory process has subsided. The procedure is carried out under local anesthesia and after a few hours the mother can take the child home.

Possible complications

Many mothers are too frivolous about inflammation of their son’s foreskin, especially if the disease occurs not for the first time.

Lack of treatment not only leads to the risk of balanoposthitis becoming chronic, but is also fraught with the development of the following complications:

urethritis, cystitis and pyelonephritis - when the infection spreads in an ascending way (through the urethra and above), the organs of the urinary system are involved in the pathological process, which will require expensive and lengthy treatment in the future;
a long-lasting inflammatory process leads to the formation of erosions and ulcers, which, after scarring, leave scars on the surface of the foreskin and glans - in the future, such a condition can cause the development of cicatricial phimosis;
chronic balanoposthitis leads to a decrease in the sensitivity of the head of the penis, which in the future may negatively affect the sexual function of an adult man.

Prevention measures

Rather than treating balanoposthitis in a child on a regular basis, it is better to take care of its prevention. You can prevent the development of inflammation if you follow certain recommendations.

Prevention instructions include the following measures:

regular hygiene procedures, in particular after each bowel movement;
the use of special cosmetics to care for the baby’s genitals;
using powders and baby creams to prevent irritation and diaper rash;
the use of gentle detergents for washing children's clothes;
correct selection of diapers and underwear;
timely treatment of infectious diseases;
protection of the genital organs from damage;
preventing hypothermia;
general monitoring of the boy’s health.

Circumcision is the most reliable protection against balanoposthitis. In childhood, this procedure is very easily tolerated, so if there are indications for it, you should not refuse it.

FAQ

Good afternoon. My son is 1 year old and the head of his penis is still not exposed. A friend advised me to try to forcefully push the skin down after each bath, so she managed to expose the head of her child’s penis. I would like to consult with you first, is it possible to do this and will it hurt my son?

Hello. Your child has a physiological narrowing of the foreskin, which is the absolute norm at this age. There is no need to forcefully move anything away and try to expose the head. Such actions can provoke a rupture of the frenulum, and the child will require surgical help.

If nothing bothers the baby and he has no problems with urination, then until the age of 5-6 years there is no need to open anything specially; in the future, if something bothers you, you can seek the advice of a surgeon or pediatric urologist.

Hello, Doctor. I am the mother of a 5 year old boy. My son was diagnosed with balanoposthitis and was recommended to inject Furacilin solution with a syringe, but the problem is that the child categorically refuses such manipulations and screams hysterically every time. What should I do, I don’t know how to rinse my penis if it won’t even let me get close??

Good afternoon. In order not to traumatize the child’s psyche, ask him to lower his penis into a glass with Furacilin solution and pee at the same time. This will be enough for the accumulated smegma to be washed away with urine, and for the antiseptic solution to reach the site of inflammation.

Hello, Doctor. For the first time, my 2-year-old son’s penis became inflamed - everything was red, swollen, the baby was crying and not sleeping. We can only see the doctor tomorrow afternoon, and there is no antiseptic at home. Tell me, can I replace it with something popular? I would be very grateful to you for your answer.

Good afternoon. Brew chamomile flowers, strain, cool to body temperature and place the child in a basin with the decoction. Chamomile has a natural anti-inflammatory property and can relieve tissue swelling in the baby. This will be enough until the boy is examined by a doctor tomorrow. You can repeat the procedure in the morning, but just don’t ignore the visit to a specialist.

When a couple has a son, they are forced to deal with many specific diseases. One of them is balanitis in a child. In most cases, the pathology is fungal in nature. Its main symptom is inflammation of the skin on the head of the penis. Such an unpleasant problem requires a serious approach to therapy and cannot be avoided without the use of special drugs. Today’s article will discuss how to treat balanitis in children.

Features of the disease

Balanitis belongs to the category of inflammatory diseases. Its development is always accompanied by itching, discomfort and pain in the area of the head of the penis. The pathological process is based on the action of foreign organisms; much less often it is a consequence of mechanical damage.

Balanitis can occur in a child of any age. In infants, its appearance is caused by prolonged wearing of diapers. First, this causes diaper rash, and then an inflammatory process.

There are several forms of the disease: simple, candidal, obliterating, erosive. Each of them has characteristic symptoms and requires a specific treatment option. For example, with candidal balanitis, a small rash appears on the skin, and in the case of erosive balanitis, multiple ulcers appear. The obliterating form is accompanied by atrophy of individual areas of the dermis.

Any of the presented forms of the disease can worsen. In this case, the child’s condition deteriorates sharply, he becomes whiny and irritable. Therefore, if you suspect balanitis, the symptoms of which will be described below, you should immediately seek medical help. The sooner the doctor prescribes treatment, the faster the recovery will come.

Why does the disease occur?

The main reason for the development of balanitis is considered to be infection. It penetrates between the head of the genital organ and the foreskin. Usually it is played by a fungus of the genus Candidae or other pathogenic flora. The following factors may contribute to their appearance:

Physiological phimosis. This is a fairly common disorder in which the head cannot be completely exposed. The result is a closed space that is inaccessible for high-quality hygiene procedures. Between the foreskin and the head a favorable environment is created for the life of pathogenic microbes. With age, physiological phimosis goes away on its own. That is why children under 5 years of age are more susceptible to balanitis.
Failure to comply with basic rules of personal hygiene. Many kids simply do not know and do not know how to properly care for their body. In the absence of regular water procedures, inflammation of the glans penis in a child occurs.

Sometimes the development of the pathological process is accompanied by serious health problems. In this case, balanitis is secondary. The risk group includes children with diabetes mellitus, helminthic infestations and sexually transmitted diseases.

The first manifestations of balanitis

Often the development of the disease is preceded by the child’s excellent health. He may complain of itching and redness in the area of the head of the genital organ. His parents themselves begin to notice his restless state. Among the main symptoms indicating the active proliferation of pathogenic microflora, the following should be highlighted:

slight swelling of the skin in the area of infection;
reddish rash;
the appearance of scales on the genitals;
discharge of purulent secretion from under the foreskin with an unpleasant odor.

Young children cannot clearly talk about their problem. They begin to act up the next time they try to examine the genital organ. In the acute stage, children deliberately restrain the urge to urinate, which ends in enuresis at night.

Candidal balanitis in a child, in addition to the symptoms listed above, is accompanied by an increase in temperature. Sometimes the lymph nodes in the groin area become enlarged. Children with this disorder appear lethargic and constantly sleepy.

Medical examination

For successful treatment it is necessary to determine the form of the disease. First, the doctor must examine the small patient, analyze the complaints and study his medical history. After this, studies are prescribed to determine the causative agent of the disease. For this purpose, a smear is taken from the urethra.

In case of a complicated course of the pathological process or its chronicity, additional diagnostics are carried out. The little patient is prescribed a comprehensive examination:

Blood sugar test.
Tests for STIs (taken only from teenagers).
PCR.

If it is possible to identify balanitis in children in time, treatment can cope with its manifestations within 3-4 days. During this period, inflammation can usually be stopped.

How to help your child at home?

Sometimes you can overcome balanitis in children at home. Treatment will be effective only at the initial stage of the disease. However, before this, consultation with a pediatrician is required.

The basis of home therapy are baths with medicinal herbs. For this purpose, you can use St. John's wort, chamomile and calendula flowers. After the procedure, inflamed skin should be gently wiped using a soft towel. Traditional healers also recommend using these herbs to make lotions and infusions.

To reduce itching in the genital area, you can wipe it with a slightly salted aqueous solution. To prepare it, you will need to mix a teaspoon of salt with 500 ml of warm water and stir well. Use a cotton swab soaked in the solution to wipe the surface of the genitals.

After a course of therapy at home, you need to see a pediatrician. If the results are unsatisfactory, the doctor will prescribe medications.

Drug treatment

Depending on the cause of the disease, your pediatrician may prescribe an antifungal cream, an antibacterial agent, or a steroid ointment to treat it. Let's consider each of the options in more detail.

Antifungal drugs are prescribed for candidal balanitis. Clotrimazole is considered the most effective. The instructions for use recommend using the ointment twice a day until symptoms disappear completely. The course of treatment lasts no more than a week.

In case of ulcerative balanitis caused by pathogenic flora, an antibiotic cream helps. Chloramphenicol is most often prescribed to children. Some doctors prescribe antibiotic tablets, for example, Erythromycin. The dosage of the drug is selected individually and depends on the age of the small patient.

A mild steroid cream is recommended to reduce inflammation. The choice of a specific remedy remains with the attending physician. Most often they resort to the help of “Hydrocortisone”. Like Clotrimazole, the instructions for use recommend using the ointment twice a day. In this case, you should avoid taking warm baths.

Manifestations of the disease usually go away within 3-5 days after the start of therapy. If balanitis does not respond to treatment and symptoms continue to appear, it is advisable to discuss other treatment options with your doctor.

The need for surgery

How to treat balanitis if it has become chronic and does not respond to drug therapy? In this case, doctors most often decide to perform surgery. It involves excision of the foreskin. This is a rather radical, but at the same time effective method of combating the inflammatory process.

Prevention methods

Many parents have had to deal with such a pathology as balanitis in a child. This is a serious disease, the treatment of which should not be neglected. Otherwise, the disease may become chronic. Its therapy is no longer limited to taking medications.

Is it possible to prevent balanitis in a child? The main precaution is high-quality and timely hygiene of the genital organs. She needs to be supervised by her parents first, and then they can teach her the basics of a baby. You need to change your underwear daily and try to choose your diapers wisely.

Another preventative measure is to increase immunity. For this purpose, the child must be provided with adequate nutrition and walks in the fresh air. Any colds should be treated promptly. And at the slightest suspicion of balanitis, you should immediately seek medical help.

Balanoposthitis often occurs in an acute form, developing over several days. Due to their young age (3-4 years), some children are not able to indicate to their parents that they are unwell; they let their parents know about the illness by restlessness and crying when urinating. Enuresis is often observed: boys are afraid of pain when urinating, and deliberately delay it, which leads to enuresis. Sometimes there is an increase in temperature to 37.-38 degrees, enlargement of the lymph nodes in the groin area. The following symptoms indicate balanoposthitis:

Itching, burning, pain when urinating.
Swelling, redness of the head of the penis and foreskin.
A large amount of discharge of a cheesy consistency with a specific odor, which is observed when the foreskin is pulled back.
Purulent discharge.
Rash, diaper rash, cracks on the skin of the head of the penis.
Erosion, peeling of the skin.
Loss of appetite, irritability, insomnia

Crying baby

Purulent balanoposthitis

The purulent form of the disease develops suddenly: just yesterday the child felt great, and the very next day he complains of sharp pain when urinating, which is often accompanied by an elevated temperature of 37-38 degrees. When examining the baby's genitals, swelling and purulent discharge of white or yellow shades are detected. The cause of the disease is improper care of the child’s genitals with subsequent infection.

Chronic

Sometimes the disease cannot be recognized and treated in time; it develops from an acute form into a chronic one, lasting from several weeks to several months. Balanoposthitis does not occur in an acute form, characterized by slight swelling, redness of the head of the penis, and whitish deposits with a specific odor. The chronic form of the disease is difficult to treat; after complete recovery, the disease suddenly makes itself felt again.

Candida

Sometimes the cause of balanoposthitis is infection with candida, a yeast fungus. The pathological nature of the disease will be revealed by bacteriological culture, carried out as prescribed by the doctor. Based on the results of the study, the doctor will prescribe treatment with a drug that prevents the growth of the fungus. Candidiasis balanoposthitis is characterized by inflammation and redness of the skin of the glans penis and foreskin, and a specific cheesy whitish discharge.

Methods for treating balanoposthitis in children

To cure a child from inflammation of the head of the penis and foreskin, they must be thoroughly cleaned of contamination. In other cases, you need to contact a specialist - a pediatric surgeon or urologist. If you suspect a candidiasis infection, the doctor will prescribe a diagnosis: it is difficult to cure a child of a fungal infection on your own.

In addition to testing for fungi, discharge tests and a general urine test are carried out. Other types of research are also prescribed. After identifying the pathogen, the doctor will prescribe appropriate medications. In rare cases, surgery is recommended to prevent chronic balanoposthitis. If qualified medical care is not available, self-treatment of a mild form of the disease is allowed. The following measures are recommended:

Cleaning and treating the penis. Mild forms of inflammation can be successfully treated with simple hygiene procedures. The head of the penis and foreskin must be cleaned of secretions, and chlorhexidine or another non-aggressive antiseptic, Miramistin, must be applied to the skin. Procedures are carried out 3-4 times a day for a week. It is not recommended to use solutions of potassium permanganate and iodine - they dry out the skin. If the antiseptic does not eliminate the inflammation, syntomycin liniment or levomekol are used instead.
Cleansing baths. Furacilin or chamomile decoction are used as active ingredients. The decoction is prepared according to the standard recipe (as for oral administration), the furatsilin solution is prepared at the rate of two tablets per two hundred grams of warm water at a temperature of 36-37 degrees. The child's penis must be immersed in warm liquid for 5-7 minutes. There is no need to move the foreskin; the liquid will penetrate inside without any problems. Several procedures will be enough to noticeably improve your condition.

Chlorhexidine bicluconate

Disease prevention

Improper care of the child's genitals leads to inflammation. In infancy, care should be taken by parents, and as they grow and develop, the children themselves should take care of them. Care of the genitals should be carried out daily using safe and anti-allergic products. Diapers must be changed promptly. Another cause of balanoposthitis is considered to be improper exposure of the glans penis, as a result of which the boy’s genital organ is injured.

Video: how to treat balanoposthitis at home

If you cannot eliminate the disease on your own in a short time, you should seek qualified help so that the disease does not develop into a chronic stage: treating chronic balanoposthitis is not easy. Advanced balanoposthitis is the cause of disorders and disturbances in the reproductive activity of an adult man. When the first signs of inflammation appear, you need to carry out simple hygiene procedures. Additional information about them is contained in the thematic video.

Balanitis is an inflammation of the glans penis. The disease often affects the foreskin and this condition is called “balanoposthitis”. The head of the penis is its terminal part, which has the shape of a blunt cone with a rounded tip.

The urethra is a tube for removing urine and sperm from the body, passes through the center of the glans penis.

In childhood, and sometimes during puberty, the head is covered with folds of skin of the foreskin. With age, the foreskin begins to separate from the glans - this is a completely natural process that should not be forced.

Balanitis in children occurs in boys who have not been circumcised and those whose foreskin does not extend away from the head of the penis (phimosis). Balanitis can occur at any age.

Balanitis can be caused by a bacterial infection, fungi, or yeast (Candida albicans).

It can also be caused exposure to chemicals, ointments or medications. For example, recurrent balanitis can be triggered by the use of a detergent or antiseptic. As the famous pediatrician E.O. Komarovsky points out on his website, there is no pain with allergic balanitis.
Cleaning the penis too often or too infrequently may cause balanitis in children. If hygiene is not observed, the substance smegma accumulates in the preputial sac, which is necessary for better glide of the head of the penis. This is a breeding ground for microorganisms.
Penis injury may cause balanitis.
Babies may develop inflammation of the foreskin if they have diaper rash.
Diabetes may increase the likelihood of developing balanitis due to an increase in the amount of sugar in the child's urine, especially if the disease is uncontrolled. Diabetes is a common cause of recurrent balanitis.

According to the nature of the disease, they are distinguished:

Acute balanitis- 1-2 weeks.
Chronic balanitis- from several weeks to months.
Recurrent balanitis- periodically returning.

The following forms of the disease exist:

ulcerative;
erosive;
irritative or simple;
chronic hypertrophic;
obliterating.

Symptoms of balanitis in boys

Symptoms of balanitis mainly affect the penis, although sometimes they can affect other parts of the body.

Symptoms of balanitis in boys affecting the penis are:

a red rash on the tip of the penis that may look “scaly” or ulcerated;
pain, tenderness and swelling;
itching and discomfort;
discharge or pus from under the foreskin, which may smell unpleasant;
difficulty urinating. Young children may cry while urinating or when touching the genitals;
in adolescents - the inability to retract the foreskin.

Symptoms of balanitis in boys and young men that affect the rest of the body include:

mouth pain;
joint pain;
swollen or painful glands;
rash on different parts of the child’s body;
general poor health.

Systemic symptoms such as fever and nausea are rarely observed in patients.

Balanitis in children: diagnosis and treatment

To diagnose balanitis, the doctor will examine the child's penis and ask him or his parents about complaints. The doctor may also take a swab from the urethra to determine the causative agent of the disease and a urine sample to rule out diabetes.

Treatment of balanitis in children at home:

As a self-help measure, you should clean your child's genitals twice a day. lightly salted aqueous solution to relieve discomfort. To prepare the solution, mix a teaspoon of salt with half a liter (500 ml) of warm water.
You can also use it to get rid of itching and burning. water based cream.
Allergic balanitis goes away within a few days after the child stops contact with the stimulus causing the symptoms of the disease.

On the forums you can find traditional methods of treating balanitis, including the following:

Boil sage and fennel leaves in red wine.
Wait 10 minutes, wrap the leaves in gauze and apply to the sore spot until the poultice has cooled.

Drug treatments for balanitis:

Depending on what caused the inflammation of the foreskin, your doctor may prescribe antifungal cream, antibiotics or steroid cream.

Can help with ulcerative balanitis caused by bacteria antibiotic ointment, such as chloramphenicol. Sometimes antibiotic tablets such as erythromycin are prescribed. The dosage of the drug depends on the age of the child.
Mild steroid cream or ointment(eg hydrocortisone cream) is prescribed to help reduce inflammation on the head of the penis.

Symptoms usually go away 3 to 5 days after starting treatment. If the disease does not respond to treatment or symptoms continue to return despite treatment (recurrent balanitis), you should discuss other treatment options with your doctor.

Balanitis in children: surgical treatment

Circumcision is very rarely used to treat balanitis. This treatment method is used for frequent relapses of the disease and chronic balanitis. Circumcision is an operation to remove the foreskin. It is usually done under general anesthesia, meaning the child will be asleep during the procedure.

Prevention of balanitis:

Good hygiene is important in preventing balanitis. The child should be taught Wash the glans and foreskin regularly and then wipe them dry.
In addition, parents need to make sure that their son washes hands after urinating.
Adults whose work involves chemicals should wash your hands thoroughly before using the toilet to avoid transferring chemical particles to the penis.
Circumcision is not a guarantee that the disease will not occur in the future, but when done at birth, it greatly reduces the chances that the disease will ever affect the baby's penis.

A rare but possible complication of balanitis is phimosis, or the inability to retract the foreskin from the head of the penis. Fluticasone propionate is an effective treatment for balanitis-associated phimosis.

Balanoposthitis is an inflammatory disease diagnosed mainly in boys. The pathology affects the head of the genital organ and the inner part of the foreskin. The process is accompanied by severe symptoms, which significantly worsens the patient’s life.

Balanoposthitis in children can be diagnosed by external examination. Based on the results obtained, therapy is prescribed, which involves the use of antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory ointments, baths, and washing. If the child has a chronic stage, surgery is performed.

Provoking factors

Very often, balanoposthitis occurs in infants, which is caused by improper use of diapers. This inflammatory process also occurs in boys as a result of the development of pathogenic microorganisms. Certain conditions contribute to the progress of pathology:

Improper child care, use of soap when washing.
Low-quality products intended for personal hygiene and washing children's clothes.
Incorrect diaper size, infrequent change of diapers.
Tight panties that can rub the head of the genital organ, causing injury to the skin and infection.
An allergic reaction to the powder or baby cream used.
Disturbed structure of the external genitalia, which can provoke various inflammatory processes.
Unnecessarily exposing the head of the genital organ.
Diabetes.
Problems with excess weight.
Malnutrition of the child.

Ordinary hypothermia can also provoke this inflammatory process in boys.

General symptoms

The first symptoms of balanopastitis in a child include pain and itching in the area of the head of the genital organ. Also, a small patient will complain of a burning sensation in this area. There may be difficulty passing urine. During the examination, the specialist notes redness and swelling of the head; if you pull back the foreskin, you will see accumulated smegma, which has an unpleasant odor.

If a purulent form of the disease is diagnosed, there will be discharge of pus from under the foreskin. The child is very worried about this condition. Also, in addition to local symptoms, other body reactions to the inflammatory process may occur.

Additional symptoms of balanoposthitis in a child (photos of this pathology can be seen on specialized websites):

Increased body temperature.
General weakness.
The child constantly wants to sleep and is capricious a lot.

The child's irritability is associated with itching, which constantly bothers him.

Symptoms in infants

Very often, this inflammatory process is diagnosed specifically in infants. This is due to the fact that even with hygiene, microorganisms from the intestines after bowel movement enter the foreskin, as well as the head, which leads to an inflammatory process. Phimosis, which is observed in every boy in the first year of life, can complicate the hygienic process.

Symptoms of balanoposthitis in children of this age category are always clear, so at the first manifestations of the disease you should immediately contact a urologist. We list the signs of this inflammatory process:

Swelling of the glans and foreskin, it has a bright red tint.
On examination, you may notice red dots on the genitals.
The baby is restless, does not sleep, refuses to eat.
There is pain when urinating, the child cries.

If you ignore this pathology and do not seek timely help from a specialist, this will lead to irreversible serious consequences.

Balanoposthitis in preschoolers and schoolchildren

Even at this age, balanoposthitis is still common. It occurs as a result of the same provoking factors:

Phimosis. At this age it takes on a pathological form.
Poor hygiene.
Attachment of candida microflora.

Also, you should not use tight underwear, as it negatively affects the condition of the genitals and foreskin. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor not only the child’s hygiene, teach him how to wash properly, but also carefully choose underwear.

Balanoposthitis in adolescents

Very often, balanoposthitis in children of this age is accompanied by staphylococcal infection, as well as streptococci and candida. This is explained by the fact that the teenager does not properly monitor personal hygiene and wears tight underwear.

Balanoposthitis in adolescents very often develops in parallel with existing pathologies:

gonorrhea;
trichomoniasis;
candidiasis;
herpes.

In adolescence, phimosis is quite rare, but if this happens, surgical intervention is necessary. In such a situation, a full examination is carried out to exclude existing diseases and prescribe full treatment for balanoposthitis in the child. The symptoms of the pathology are the same as at an early age.

Kinds

In modern medicine, there are several types of balanoposthitis in children. These include:

Simple. It is characterized by redness throughout the area, swelling and maceration of the skin of the head, as well as the inner part of the foreskin. Then the formation of erosions of various types occurs, which differ in size and shape. Pus with particles of epithelium may be released from them. There is itching and burning. After the therapy, no traces of the inflammatory process remain on the skin.
Erosive balanoposthitis in a child. Photos of this type of pathology demonstrate the presence of white areas with dead epithelium, which then turn into large bright red erosions. The process may be complicated by phimosis. There are pain sensations. After treatment, no traces of the disease remain.
Gangrenous. This form of the disease is accompanied by fever, fever, and general malaise. Deep purulent-necrotic ulcers of various sizes are diagnosed. Pain, swelling, redness of the head and foreskin are noted. Phimosis develops. The recovery process takes a lot of time.

Only a specialist can determine the type of pathology after a thorough examination.

Purulent balanoposthitis

The purulent form of the disease is characterized by an inflammatory process in the described area, which disrupts the process of emission of urine and smegma. As a result, there is a discharge of purulent masses, most often with a specific odor. The main symptom is redness and swelling of the head. Any form of the disease is always accompanied by unpleasant sensations, itching and burning, especially when urinating.

Purulent balanoposthitis can be provoked by yeast fungi, staphylococcus, streptococcus. If there is a strong inflammatory process, which is accompanied by the release of pus, then circumcision of the foreskin is performed.

Acute balanoposthitis

The acute form of the inflammatory process very often occurs as a complication of infectious diseases. Balanoposthitis is observed as a result of the previously mentioned provoking factors. It is accompanied by redness of the head, problems with urination, discharge, swelling and increased body temperature. It occurs unexpectedly and occurs quickly. Treatment in this situation should be prescribed within 24 hours. Therefore, you should not engage in independent therapy, but immediately seek qualified help.

Diagnostics

A pediatric surgeon or urologist will help solve the problem. Diagnostics does not imply instrumental research. To prescribe treatment for balanoposthitis in a child, it is enough to familiarize yourself with the symptoms, conduct an examination and laboratory tests.

Analysis of urine. Leukocytes and bacteria will be noted.
Bacteriological examination of urine. Helps identify the pathogen.
PCR and ELISA. These studies help to accurately determine the type of pathogen.

To exclude concomitant pathologies, you need to undergo additional examination by other highly specialized specialists, as well as donate blood for sugar, conduct an ultrasound of the kidneys and bladder.

Treatment

Therapy depends on the degree of disease progression. Mild balanostitis can be treated at home. The severe form is eliminated under the supervision of a specialist. If the situation is very advanced, then treatment of balanoposthitis in a child Komarovsky, for example, recommends operationally.

A mild degree of the disease involves carrying out the following activities at home:

Careful hygiene procedures after bowel movements and changing diapers (in infants).
Every couple of hours - baths with chamomile.
Using a moisturizer.

If a severe form of pathology is diagnosed, then it is worth undergoing an examination. Treatment is prescribed by a specialist. To achieve a positive result from therapy, you need:

Carry out the same hygiene measures as for mild cases.
Every couple of hours, take baths with chamomile or furatsilin solution.
Before going to bed, use applications with antimicrobial drugs (Levomekol is most often prescribed). The course of treatment lasts no more than 4 days. If a child is diagnosed with a fungal form of pathology, then Clotrimozole or Candide should be used. The course of treatment lasts about 3 weeks.

To make it easier for your child to go to the toilet, you can also put him in warm water.

Therapy for the purulent form of the disease is significantly different. This type of treatment for balanoposthitis in a child is not carried out at home. In most cases, circular excision of the foreskin of the genital organ is prescribed.

Complications: preventive measures

If there is no therapy for the described disease, this can lead to negative consequences:

The process becomes chronic.
Infection and bacteria spread.
Acute urinary retention occurs.
Phimosis progresses.
Gangrene develops.
The head is deformed.
Neoplasms of a malignant type appear.

Preventive measures should include:

Hygiene procedures every evening, especially after bowel movements.
The baby is promptly replaced with diapers and the correct size is selected.
During washing, older boys need to expose and wash the head of the genital organ.

It is worth remembering that the child must have his own towel for intimate hygiene. It is also necessary to use underwear that will prevent chafing of the head.