What happens if a baby has an undescended testicle?
An undescended testicle is more likely to form a tumor than a normally descended testicle. The undescended testicle may be more at risk for injury or testicular torsion. An asymmetrical or empty scrotum can cause a boy worry and embarrassment. Sometimes boys with undescended testicles develop inguinal hernias.
At what age should testes descend?
Most of the time, a boy’s testicles descend by the time he is 9 months old. Undescended testicles are common in infants who are born early. The problem occurs less in full-term infants.
What is the symptoms of undescended testis?
In a baby affected by undescended testicles, one or both of his testicles either appear to be missing or cannot be felt in the scrotum. If both testicles are undescended, the scrotum will look unusually small and flat. If only one testicle is affected, the scrotum may look lopsided.
How do you fix an undescended testicle?
Surgery. An undescended testicle is usually corrected with surgery. The surgeon carefully manipulates the testicle into the scrotum and stitches it into place (orchiopexy). This procedure can be done either with a laparoscope or with open surgery.
What happens if my baby testicle doesn’t drop?
A testicle that does not drop into the correct place in the scrotum could become damaged. This could lead to infertility (not being able to have children) later in life or to other medical problems.
Is an undescended testicle painful?
The main sign of undescended testes is one testis (a single testicle) or both testes missing from the scrotum. Undescended testes will not cause your child any problems with urination, and will not cause any pain, unless the cord attached to the testis (spermatic cord) becomes twisted.
Can undescended testicle correct itself?
The vast majority of the time, the undescended testicle moves into the proper position on its own, within the first few months of life. If your son has an undescended testicle that doesn’t correct itself, surgery can relocate the testicle into the scrotum.
What happens if a testicle doesn’t drop?
If the testicles don’t drop into the scrotum, they may not function normally and produce healthy sperm. This can lead to infertility later in life. Males born with undescended testicles also have a higher risk of testicular cancer in adulthood.
Can you fix an undescended testicle without surgery?
Hormone treatment involves the injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). This hormone could cause the testicle to move to your son’s scrotum. Hormone treatment is not usually recommended because it is much less effective than surgery.
Is undescended testicle painful?
Does My Baby need surgery for an undescended testicle?
The surgery varies based on where the undescended testicle is located: in the groin or the lower belly. In both cases, your baby gets medication so that he will not be awake or feel pain during the procedure.
When do the testicles descend from the baby?
It’s possible that the testicle will descend on its own by the time your baby is 6 months old. If it doesn’t, he will need surgery. The good news is that surgical repair is an outpatient procedure made with small incisions. If the testicle is in the abdomen, the procedure can be performed laparoscopically, a minimally invasive approach.
Are babies born with testicles?
As a baby boy grows inside his mother’s womb, his testicles form inside his abdomen and move down (descend) into the scrotum shortly before birth. But in some cases, that move doesn’t happen, and the baby is born with one or both testicles undescended. The majority of cases are in male babies born prematurely.
Can undescended testicle cause fertility problems?
Undescended testicles can cause fertility problems because the testicles may not develop properly and being higher up in the body, they will be hotter and testicles need to be cooler than body temperature in order to produce sperm.