Hypospadias in Baby Boys and Treatment for This Condition

When a boy has hypospadias, the urethra does not enter at the tip of the penis, which is a birth defect, treatment often involves surgery.

Do you know what is hypospadias in baby boys? We got you covered in this article we will learn about hypospadias in baby boys.

Table of Contents

What is Hypospadias in a Baby?

Hypospadias is a condition that happens in boys.

When a boy has hypospadias, the urethra does not enter at the tip of the penis, which is a birth defect. Boys with hypospadias experience abnormal urethra development around weeks 8 to 14 of pregnancy.

The abnormal hole may develop anywhere between the region immediately below the penis’s tip and the scrotum. There are different degrees of hypospadias; some cases are less severe than others.

Don’t worry, there is a hypospadias treatment to address this condition.

Hypospadias Types

Photo by James Sabio

The type of hypospadias a boy develops depends on where the urethral opening is located:

Subcoronal: The location of the urethral opening is near the penile head.
The urethral opening is about midway down the shaft of the penis.
Penoscrotal: The junction of the penis and scrotum is the location of the urethra’s entrance.

Symptoms of Hypospadias in Babies

The entrance to the urethra is located in hypospadias, which is on the bottom of the penis as opposed to close to its apex. The entrance to the urethra is frequently located inside the penile head.

Less frequently, the entrance can be found in the middle or close to the base of the penis. Rarely does the hole develop in or beneath the scrotum?

Before undergoing a hypospadias treatment, here are the symptoms and warnings of hypospadias are:

The urethra opening somewhere other than the penile tip
The penis is downwardly curving (chordee)
The penis seems hooded because the foreskin only covers the top half of it.
Abnormal spraying while urinating

The majority of the time, hypospadias is identified at birth. In addition to the meatus being positioned wrongly, this condition typically results in an underdeveloped foreskin.

As a result, a “dorsal hood” develops, revealing the tip of the penis. In other cases, the foreskin of certain neonates is abnormal, with the meatus situated where it shouldn’t be. Others could have an abnormal meatus that is covered by a thick foreskin.

In addition, approximately 8 out of 100 males with hypospadias still have some of their testes outside of the scrotum. However, this can be addressed through treatment.

Doctors will examine your kid’s penis during the newborn examination to determine whether your child has hypospadias. The location of the aperture is typically obvious. Your doctor will advise you to postpone circumcision and will refer you to a urologist.

Is hypospadias equivalent to a curved penis?

The two conditions are not equivalent. However, children with hypospadias can infrequently have chordee, or congenital penile curvature.

Boys with hypospadias occasionally have curved penises. They may need to sit down to pee and have erratic urine spraying problems.

In certain situations, the testicle has not fully retracted into the scrotum. If left untreated, hypospadias can lead to problems later in life, such as difficulty engaging in sexual activity or urinating while standing.

Hypospadias Causes and Risk Factors

Photo by Migs Reyes

Hypospadias in most newborns has unidentified reasons. Typically, it is believed that a combination of genetic and environmental factors, such as the mother’s environment, nutrition, lifestyle, and any medications she takes while pregnant, cause hypospadias.

According to Web MD, some of the potential causes include:

Genetics. The likelihood rises if the boy’s father or brother also carries it. It has also been connected to a few hereditary syndromes.
Fertility treatments. It’s possible that the mother received hormone treatment or took medicine to help with conception.
Age and weight of the mother. A mother’s risk of having a child with hypospadias increases if she had diabetes before getting pregnant, is overweight and is over 35.
Tobacco use or pesticide exposure
Premature birth

Hypospadias Treatment

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Hypospadias will be managed according to the type of deformity he has. Treatment for hypospadias often involves surgery to address the issue.

If surgery is necessary, it is frequently carried out when the boy is between 3 and 18 months old. Periodically, surgery may be carried out in stages.

Following are the several types of hypospadias repair (according to Cleveland Clinic):

Orthoplasty – Straightening of the penis
Urethroplasty – Rebuilding the urethra
Meatoplasty/glanuloplasty – Creating a new opening and reconstructing the head of the penis
Scrotoplasty – Repair of the scrotum
Skin coverage – Getting enough skin grafts to complete all hypospadias repairs

Hypospadias surgery steps

The surgery may include a number of steps, including realigning the urethral aperture, adjusting the penis’s curve, and repairing the skin near the urethral entrance.

A baby boy with hypospadias shouldn’t be circumcised because the procedure may require some repairs that require the foreskin to be used.

Surgeons have been treating hypospadias since the late 1800s. Over 200 different types of operations have been discussed. However, only a few techniques have been used by pediatric urologists since the 1980s, when the modern era of hypospadias reconstruction began.

Any surgery performed to correct hypospadias seeks to produce a penis that is normal, straight, and has a urine channel that ends at or near the tip. The process consists of four main steps:

Changing the shaft
Constructing the urinary canal
Putting the meatus on top of the penis
Foreskin repair or circumcision

A 90-minute to 3-hour (for distal and proximal, respectively) same-day surgery is frequently used to treat hypospadias. The repair may occasionally be carried out in stages.

Between the ages of 6 and 12 months, doctors prefer to operate on full-term, healthy boys who have hypospadias. However, hypospadias can be managed in kids of all ages, even adults. Before surgery, your doctor can advise testosterone therapy if the penis is tiny.

A good hypospadias treatment should endure a long time.

ALSO READ:

Undescended Testes, What It’s Like To Be Born With It

Baby With Balanitis: What You Should Know

Hydrocele In Children: What It Is & How To Treat It

Hypospadias Surgery Side Effects

Some of the most frequent issues following a repair are:

Urine leakage after hypospadias surgery – incontinence or a lack of urine flow when urinating
either side of the body, the lower back, or a testicle
attempting to withstand the desire to urinate
Hard or clumpy penis tissue
Unpleasant sex
Urinary tract infections

Hypospadias treatment-related problems could include:

Minimal blood flow
A buildup of scar tissue
Breakdown of tissues used in hypospadias treatment
Failing to effectively and fully integrate the original tissue with the reconstructed tissue

The doctor will do a comprehensive medical history and physical examination in this situation. Particularly serious conditions include fistulas, urinary problems, blood in the urine, and urinary tract infections.

Moreover, the doctor may perform the following:

Review any reports from previous repairs.
Prior to performing repairs, locate the penile entrance.
Ask about the existence, strength, and direction of any pee spraying or leaking.
Determine the extent of the penis curve while it is erect
If necessary, carry a cystoscopy or an imaging test known as a urethrogram to look for any obstruction.

Most newborns with hypospadias are diagnosed immediately after birth. However, there is a chance that the urethral hole will be somewhat misplaced, which will make it harder to see and more modest. Consult your doctor if you have concerns about the appearance of your child’s penis or if they are experiencing trouble peeing.

changing babys diaper - hypospadias article

Image Source: iStock

This article was written by Margaux Dolores and republished with permission from theAsianparent Philippines.

Cleveland Clinic, CDC, Urology Health, My Cleveland Clinic, Web MD

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