Patient's question:
Child is ten years old, in good health, penis is smaller than peers, looks like it did when they were young. Is this normal, or should they see a doctor?Doctor's answer:
The development of male genitalia generally involves the testicles descending into the scrotum within the first year of life. Before puberty, a boy's external genitalia remain in an infantile state, with the testicular volume being approximately 2 milliliters. When the testicular volume exceeds 3 milliliters, it marks the beginning of puberty. Typically, at ages 10-11, the testicles and penis start to grow, and by ages 12-13, pubic hair begins to appear. By ages 14-15, armpit hair and a deepening voice become noticeable, and after age 16, facial hair and a prominent Adam's apple develop.Advice: Therefore, a 10-year-old child has not yet truly entered puberty, and it is normal for the penis not to have grown yet. There is no need to worry. If puberty has indeed begun but secondary sexual characteristics have not appeared, further hormone testing and other examinations in the urology department of a hospital are not too late.