Toilet training your toddler… safely!
Dads, cross your legs for this one… if you’ve been trying to get your toddler son used to going potty in the big toilet you might want to consider leaving the seat up or changing it, say urologists, after UK research suggests an increase in penis crush injuries.
Finished wincing? Because doctors have expressed considerable concerns about the growing trend for heavy wooden and ornamental toilet seats after a number of male toddlers were admitted with crush injuries to their penises. Dr Joe Philip and his colleagues at Leighton Hospital in Crewe, report on four boys under the age of 4 who were admitted with injuries serious enough to require an overnight stay.
The culprit? Mom and dad’s desire for a bathroom right out of House Beautiful. “A recent market research report has suggested that there has been a worldwide increase in the number of wooden and ceramic toilet seats sold,” Dr Philip explains. “We wouldn’t be surprised to hear that other colleagues have noticed an increase in penis crush injuries as a result of this.”
The four boys, aged from 2 to 4, had all been recently toilet trained and were using the toilet on their own. They had lifted the toilet seats, which had then fallen back down, crushing their penises. Three had a build up of fluid in the foreskin, but were still able to pass urine, and the fourth had glanular tenderness. Luckily there were no urethal injuries or bleeding and the symptoms settled down with pain relief. All the children were able to go home the next day.
Dr Philip recommends that parents replace heavier toilet seats with lightweight options and consider leaving the seat up so he can use the toilet easily. Also encourage your son to hold up the toilet seat when peeing [don’t forget to wash his hands afterwards!].
“As any parent knows, toilet training can be a difficult time with any toddler,” Dr Philip says. “The growing trend of heavy toilet seats poses a risk not only to their health, but to their confidence. He adds that it could be an issue during the holidays, as many families will be visiting relatives and friends and their recently toilet trained toddlers may be keen to show how grown up they are by going to the toilet on their own. “It’s important that parents check out the toilet seats in advance, not to mention the ones they have in their own homes, and accompany their children if necessary,” he says.
The study is published in the December 2008 international issue of the
British Journal of Urology.