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Doctors Recommend Leaving It Up
Filed under: Health & Safety: Babies, Health & Safety: Toddlers & Preschoolers
The next time you complain about the toilet seat being left up, consider this: if you've got a little man in the house, putting it down could pose a hazard to his, um, well, little manhood. British doctors found several cases of boys between the ages of two and four with penis-crush injuries severe enough to require an overnight stay in the hospital. The cause? Heavy wooden and ornamental toilet seats falling down on their just-trained equipment.In each case, doctors found that that the toddlers, newly potty trained, had lifted the toilet seat which then fell back down crushing their penises. Luckily, none of the boys suffered permanent damage and were able to return home the next day. The doctors note that these injuries should serve as a warning both at home and when traveling.
Dr. Joe Philip, one of the doctors reporting on the issue, says that "As Christmas approaches many families will be visiting relatives and friends and their recently toilet-trained toddlers will be keen to show how grown up they are by going to the toilet on their own. It is 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."
The doctors have some advice for keeping your toddlers safe: install toilet seats that fall slowly, get rid of heavy toilet seats, and leave the toilet seat in the raised position. Sure, it might not be ideal for the ladies in the house, but isn't your little guy's little guy worth it?
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
12-13-2008 @ 3:19PM
Uly said...Wouldn't it be easier - and less mess-inducing - to teach your little guy to sit to pee until he gets old enough not to have to worry about this?
Reply
12-14-2008 @ 10:52AM
Sandyone said...As the mother who cleans the bathroom, I can definitely say, "Yes, it's much easier, in many respects, to teach them to sit." Mine sat, but I do recall an incident or two where we had this problem (without the doctor's visit) even after they were a bit older.
12-13-2008 @ 7:55PM
Zoe said...This actually happened to our little guy. Fortunately for him it slammed on his thigh and not his penis. It was still very painful, and he was afraid to use the toilet for about a week. Luckily, we still had his plastic potty chair. That same day I went out and bought a "quiet" close lid. They cost a tiny bit more than a traditional toilet seat, but they close very slowly and safely, and we don't have to worry about it anymore.
Reply
12-14-2008 @ 4:59PM
Wolfster said...I have a nice cushy-on-your-tushy padded toilet seat. It is also lightweight. Keeps willies safe. Girls or boys shouldn't have to negotiate something like a heavy oak toilet seat when training.
It is more sanitary to keep the lid down while flushing, since the act of flushing can spray poop germs up to 10 feet depending on the toilet model. Poop germs are the ones that make you very sick.
Reply