Last updated on October 2, 2020
Question:
I have a 6-year-old son and I’ve noticed that his testicles have dropped and hang. He’s my only son and I don’t know if this is normal.
Answer:
It is known as precocious puberty. It means that puberty is happening sooner than it should. For boys puberty (the rising of testosterone in the blood) shouldn’t start before 8 and that leads to first external signs of puberty happening a year later. The average for the first external signs of puberty is 11. If his testicles are swelling and hanging, then his testosterone has risen at least a year ago, which is way too early. He needs to be examined by a doctor to find out why it started so early. See Mayo Clinic’s article on Precocious Puberty.
Generally the treatment is to give him medication to slow down his development.
Response:
Thank you for the reply. I appreciate the advice. He is due for a physical this month. I’ll speak to my doctor about it. Thanks.