Hypospadias

The first step in treating your child is forming an accurate and complete diagnosis. Hypospadias can only rarely be seen on ultrasound, so doctors typically diagnose it just after the baby is born, during his first physical examination. The location of the urethral opening (or “pee hole”) on the underside of your child’s penis indicates what type of hypospadias you’ll be dealing with:

• mild, near the tip of the penis
• moderate, midway up the penis
• severe, at the scrotum or perineum

It’s possible that the mildest forms of hypospadias can be overlooked, so you should contact your doctor if you notice that your son’s urethral opening is not at the tip of his penis, that his penis curves downward or his foreskin is not fully developed.

Upon diagnosing hypospadias, your doctor should refer your son to a pediatric urologic surgeon.