Recognize and treat undescended testicles in babies

undescended testicles in the baby

General

Normally, your baby’s testicles will descend into the scrotum in the 7th month of pregnancy. Undescended testicles occur when one or both testicles of your baby only reach their correct position after birth. Such an undescended testicle usually corrects itself by the end of the first year of life. The probability of an undescended testicle is much higher in premature babies than in fully mature newborns.

Causes of undescended testicles

Undescended testicles can be caused by an anatomical malformation or hormonal imbalance. This dysregulation is always present when you or your baby release too little of the hormone gonadotropin.

Identify undescended testicles in babies

There are four different types of undescended testicles. The abdominal testicles can only be seen with the ultrasound and the testicles cannot be felt. The groin testicles can be felt in the inguinal canal, but cannot be guided into the scrotum from there. The gliding testis is located in the entrance to the testicles. It can only be guided into the scrotum under tension, but slides back immediately. Although the pendulum testicles have already migrated into the scrotum, they are temporarily pulled back into the inguinal canal, for example due to the effects of cold.

Undescended testicles: therapy and course

As already mentioned, the testicles usually correct themselves in the first year of life. If this is not the case, please go to a pediatrician immediately. Treatment should begin no later than at the beginning of the second year of life. If the high level is not cured in time, the risk of subsequent infertility or a malignant testicular tumor increases.

The doctor can easily feel if the testicles are in the right place by pulling your baby’s legs up. You can even assist him with this. If he cannot find the testicles, he will either start an imaging diagnostic procedure, for example using magnetic resonance imaging, or carry out a hormone stimulation test. During the hormone stimulation test, a hormone is injected into your baby’s muscle. If testicular tissue is present in the abdomen, this can be seen after about 4-5 days. Then the doctor can do a blood test to see whether the testosterone level in your baby’s blood is elevated.

After the diagnosis, the doctor can then begin the actual therapy. The undescended testicles are treated either by hormone therapy with the hormone HCG, GnRH or a combination of both. The hormones are supposed to stimulate testosterone production and cause the testicles to slide down. GnRH is injected into the nose, while HCG is administered through a weekly injection. If this treatment is not successful, a minor surgical intervention must be carried out by the time the child is two years old at the latest. This fixes the testicles with the spermatic cord at the lowest point of the scrotum.