Visit our foundation to give a gift.
View Locations Near Me
Main Campus – Hartford
Connecticut Children’s – Waterbury
Urgent Care – Farmington
Specialty Care Center – Danbury
Connecticut Children’s Surgery Center at Farmington
Specialty Care Center – Fairfield
Search All Locations
Find a doctor
Contact Us
Search Specialties
Find A Doctor
Request an Appointment
Locations
Amenities and Services
Who’s Who on Care Team
Getting Ready for Surgery
What to Expect—Picture Stories
Disney Initiative
Pay a Bill
Understanding the Different Fees
Pricing Transparency and Estimates
Child Life
Raytheon Technologies Family Resource Center
Family Advisory Council
Transition Programs
Advocacy
Legal Advocacy: Benefits, Education, Housing
Electronic Health Records
MyChart
Share Your Story
Login to MyChart
Specialty Referrals
Clinical Support Services Referrals
Inpatient Referrals
ED/Transport Referrals
About the Network
Join the Network
Graduate Medical Education
Continuing Medical Education
MOC/Practice Quality Improvement
Educating Practices in the Community (EPIC)
For Nurses
Learning & Performance
Research
Resources
CLASP/Referral Guidelines
Meet our Physician Relations Team
Request Medical Records
Join our Referring Provider Advisory Board
View our Physician Callback Standards
Read & Subscribe to Medical News
Register for Email Updates
Update Your Practice Information
Refer a Patient
Contact OneCall
Find and Print Health Info
Health Information For Parents
Hypospadias (hye-peh-SPAY-dee-iss) is when the urethra — the tube that drains pee (urine) from the bladder to outside the body — opens in a different place instead of at the tip of the penis. The opening may be on the underside or at the base of the penis.
A boy with hypospadias has one or more of these signs:
Whether hypospadias will cause problems depends on where the urethra opens. For example, an opening:
Chordee (KOR-dee) may or may not cause problems, depending on the bend:
Doctors don’t know exactly what causes hypospadias. Sometimes it runs in families. Kids with certain genetic conditions are more likely to have hypospadias. Babies born prematurely also are more likely to have hypospadias.
Usually the baby’s doctor notices hypospadias during the first check-up after delivery. Sometimes it is noticed during a well-baby check. Other times, a parent notices it when their baby’s pee sprays from a different place than usual.
Most of the time, doctors do surgery to fix hypospadias. Some mild cases might not need surgery.
Depending on where the urethra opens and whether the child has chordee, a pediatric urologist (a surgeon who specializes in urinary issues in kids) will:
Parents may need to wait to circumcise (remove the foreskin of the penis) their child until after the hypospadias is fixed. Surgeons often use the foreskin to repair the hypospadias.
Talk to a pediatric urologist as you decide whether to circumcise your child. It may be important to leave the foreskin in place to use later to repair the hypospadias.
You have an important decision to make before you take your newborn son home: whether to circumcise him. Before deciding, talk to your doctor and consider the issues.
Understanding the male reproductive system and what it does can help you better understand your son’s reproductive health.
When you first meet your newborn, you may be surprised by what you see. Here’s what to expect.
The bean-shaped kidneys, each about the size of a child’s fist, are essential to our health. Their most important role is to filter blood and produce urine.
The meatus is the opening in a boy’s penis where the urine (pee) comes out. Meatal stenosis is when this is too small.
Premature infants, known as preemies, come into the world earlier than full-term infants. They have many special needs that make their care different from other babies.
If you’re a first-time parent, put your fears aside and get the basics in this guide about burping, bathing, bonding, and other baby-care concerns.
