As moms, we pride ourselves on thinking of everything that could go wrong to keep our kids safe. But sometimes the best of us are blindsided by scary, unpredictable accidents — like the mesh in a bathing suit strangling your son's penis.
Terrifying tales of little boys getting hurt at the beach or pool in the most unimaginable way possible are popping up around the country. With some bathing suits, the penis foreskin can get trapped in the tiny little holes of the mesh liner … and it quickly becomes a tourniquet. The injury is unbelievably painful and requires immediate attention.
Moms say the penis swells up and bleeds pretty quickly and that the mesh can take a ring of foreskin with it. The most important thing to do is to remove the mesh immediately. It has to be a judgment call — depending on how the mesh is attached to the penis — to decide if you can do it yourself. Pediatricians we spoke with advised to go to the ER if there's any doubt in your mind.
According to emergency room statistics for pediatric penile injuries, the most common complaints include blunt trauma, post-operative complications, fractures, and zipper injuries. Although mesh swimsuit injuries are rare, they definitely do happen … so it's important for moms to keep them on their radars.
So, what can you do to keep your son safe as the summer of 2014 comes to a close? There are mesh-free bathing suits on the market. And some bathing suits have smooth liners instead of the mesh. If your son's bathing suit has the mesh with little holes, be sure to cut it out before he wears it again. Better yet, take a look at the inside of your son's bathing suits before you buy from now on … that extra step may spare him from excruciating pain.
Have you heard about the mesh in bathing suits causing penile injuries?
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