Objectives
To update the normal stretched penile length values for children younger than 5 years
of age. We also evaluated the association between penile length and anthropometric
measures such as body weight, height, and body mass index.
Methods
The study was performed as a cross-section study. The stretched penile lengths of
1040 white uncircumcised male infants and children 0 to 5 years of age were measured,
and the mean length for each age group and the rate of increase in penile length were
calculated. The correlation between penile length and weight, height, and body mass
index of the children was determined by Pearson analysis.
Results
The stretched penile length was 3.65 ± 0.27 cm in full-term newborns (n = 165) and
3.95 ± 0.35 cm in children 1 to 3 months old (n = 112), 4.26 ± 0.40 cm in those 3.1
to 6 months old (n = 130), 4.65 ± 0.47 cm in those 6.1 to 12 months old (n = 148),
4.82 ± 0.44 cm in those 12.1 to 24 months old (n = 135), 5.15 ± 0.46 cm in those 24.1
to 36 months old (n = 120), 5.58 ± 0.47 cm in those 36.1 to 48 months old (n = 117),
and 6.02 ± 0.50 cm in those 48.1 to 60 months old (n = 113). The fastest rate of increase
in penile length was seen in the first 6 months of age, with a value of 1 mm/mo. A
significant correlation was found between penile length and the weight, height, and
body mass index of the boys (r = 0.881, r = 0.864, and r = 0.173, respectively; P = 0.001).
Conclusions
The age-related values of penile length must be known to be able to determine abnormal
penile sizes and to monitor treatment of underlying diseases. Our study has provided
updated reference values for penile lengths for Turkish and other white boys aged
0 to 5 years.
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
April 30,
2007
Received:
January 4,
2007
Identification
Copyright
© 2007 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.