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|issue=4
|pages=381-383
|url=http://www.cirp.org/library/hygiene/simpson1/
|quote=
|pubmedID=9613002
|pubmedCID=
|DOI=
|date=1998-05 |accessdate=2019-10-17
}}</ref> The mistaken belief that the foreskin was supposed to be retractable at the time of birth of the infant has led to a characterization of the genitalia of most infant males as defective at birth. This has led to many false diagnoses of [[phimosis]], followed by unnecessary [[circumcision]], when, in fact, the foreskin is developmentally normal.
|issue=
|pages=134-135
|url=http://www.cirp.org/library/normal/wright2/
|quote=
|pubmedID=8295581
== School-age and adolescence ==
Jakob Øster, a Danish physician who conducted school examinations, reported his findings on the examination of school-boys in Denmark, where circumcision is rare.<ref name="ØsterØster1968">{{REFjournal
|last=Øster
|first=J.
|url=
|quote=
|pubmedID=5689532 |pubmedCID=2019851 |DOI=10.1136/adc.43.228.200
|date=1968
|accessdate=2019-10-17}}</ref> Øster (1968) found that the incidence of fusion of the foreskin with the glans penis steadily declines with increasing age and foreskin retractability increases with age.<ref name="ØsterØster1968"/> Kayaba ''et al''. (1996) also investigated the development of foreskin retraction in boys from age 0 to age 15.5 Kayaba et al. also reported increasing retractability with increasing age. Kayaba et al. reported that about only 42 percent of boys aged 8-10 have fully retractile foreskin, but the percentage increases to 62.9 percent in boys aged 11-15.5 Imamura (1997) reported that 77 percent of boys aged 11-15 had retractile foreskin.6 Thorvaldsen & Meyhoff (2005) conducted a survey of 4000 young men in Denmark.9 They report that the mean age of first foreskin retraction is 10.4 years in Denmark.<ref name="Thorvaldsen">{{REFjournal
|last=Thorvaldsen
|first=M.A.
== Discussion ==
Boys usually are born with a non-retractile foreskin. The foreskin gradually becomes retractable over a variable period of time ranging from birth to 18 years or more.<ref name="ØsterØster1968"/><ref name="Thorvaldsen"/> There is no “right” age for the foreskin to become retractable. Non-retractile foreskin does not threaten health in childhood and no intervention is necessary. Many boys only develop a retractable foreskin after puberty. Education of concerned parents usually is the only action required.<ref>{{REFjournal
|last=Spilsbury
|first=K.