It is the joy of every parent that their children are doing well health wise. A good parent will do all he or she can to ensure the child is kept safe from things that interfere with their general being. However, several things are beyond man’s control and could only get explained by a supernatural being. Conditions such as hypospadias happen at birth, and nothing can happen to avert such from happening. The good news is that despite the anonymity of the disease, practitioners in the medical sector continuously work around the clock to correct such rising situations on new born babies. Thanks to technological advancement in the medical industry, different procedures have been developed to perform infant hypospadias repair and other congenital conditions.
About Hypospadias
This is a rare condition among newborn babies where the opening of the urethra forms on the wrong section of the penis. Usually, the urethral opening is located at the tip of the penis and covered by the foreskin. Although this conditional does not interfere with a person’s ability to take care of a child effectively, it is essential to ensure correction before the child grows old and experiences difficulties in undertaking adulthood activities such as sexual intercourse. Corrected hypospadias will enable the male to have natural urination and uncomplicated reproduction.
Symptoms of Hypospadias
Apart from the unusual location of the urethra, there are other signs linked to this condition that includes the following;
- Anomalous spraying of urine during urination
- The penis curving downwards
- An abnormal covering of the penis in the top half
- The urethra opens at a section different from the tip of the penis. This could happen beneath the scrotum in rare cases of the condition.
When Hypospadias Repair in an Infant takes Place
While most cases of this disorder get diagnosed after a child is born, treatment cannot happen immediately. A doctor will conduct a physical examination on the baby to determine the extent of misalignment. Usually, the baby will go through surgery 6 to 12 months after birth to correct the disorders though, for minor situations, non-surgical approaches could help solve the issue. What happens if the condition gets discovered during circumcision? Doctors recommend that a child having hypospadias should not go through circumcision and in case it is identified during the process. Precautions need to be taken not to advance the problem. For either situation, considering the services of an experienced pediatric urologist is crucial.
It only takes one surgery to correct the condition successfully, and afterward, the penis will look normal and could undertake its normal functions appropriately. In the event there occurs an after-surgery complication such as the formation of fistula, scars, and wounds that refuse to heal, one will have to undergo a second surgery.
Causes of Hypospadias
While it is still unclear of the major causative factors of the condition, scientists attribute this to parents’ various life skills and genealogy. Researchers attribute hormonal imbalance during the formation of the urethra in a male fetus as the main reason why hypospadias forms. Some of the prenatal risk factors include
- Gene variations are a factor that may hinder the formation of certain hormones essential during pregnancy.
- Study reveals that women who conceive at older ages of 35 years and above are most likely to give birth to children with this condition.
- Although it is not certain, some scientists imply that exposing expectant mothers to substances such as pesticides and drugs would result in hypospadias. However, more research is underway to ascertain the speculations.
- Couples from families with a history of hypospadias are more likely to conceive a child with such a condition.
Other forms of birth disorders include;
- Cerebral palsy
- Down syndrome
- Spina bifida
- Cystic fibrosis
Ways to Prevent the Occurrence of Congenital Disorders
Today, physicians have come up with programs to test spouses before they get pregnant to reduce disorders that happen during childbirth. A recommendation is that spouses meet a qualified genetic counselor if one has a family history of given congenital disease to weigh on options before conceiving a child. A standard procedure for such kinds of parents is going through an in-vitro fertilization treatment. Some factors to consider avoiding such conditions include living a healthy lifestyle, getting on a folic tablets therapy before getting pregnant, and into the first trimester into the pregnancy. Additionally, avoiding hormonal substances and products such as alcohol and cigarettes is crucial to keeping the congenital disorders at bay. These measures have helped reduce the occurrence of genetic diseases immensely.
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