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In the majority of adult men, the [[foreskin]] normally retracts to reveal the [[glans penis| head of the penis]]. In newborns, it is common normal for the foreskin to be fused to the head of the penis by the [[synechia]], thus rendering it non-retractable. The preputial cavity is sealed by the [[synechia]].<ref name="fleiss-hodges-vanhowe1998">{{TaylorJR LockwoodAP TaylorAJ 1996}}</ref> The [[foreskin]] usually separates from the glans and becomes retractable with increasing age. There is much uncertainty among health care workers about when the foreskin of a boy should become retractable.<ref>{{REFjournal

}}</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. There is no one correct age for the foreskin to become retractable.

Normally, developmental non-retractability does not cause any problems, in fact, it is protective of the [[glans penis]]. Non-retractability may be deemed pathological if it causes problems, such as difficulty urinating or performing normal sexual functions, but even then, this is rare, and, if the non-retractability itself is not caused by pathological inflammation, it cannot be called "pathological" or "true phimosis." A foreskin that is so narrow it will retract very little or not at all, but is not the result of a pathological inflammation, is accurately termed ''preputial stenosis'' (narrow prepuce), and will respond to treatment including steroid creams, manual [[stretching]], and changing [[masturbation]] habits.

The first two reasons are normal in childhood and are not pathological in children. The third can be treated conservatively, retaining the [[foreskin]].

[[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="Øster1968">{{OesterJ 1968}}</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="Øster1968"/> 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.<ref name="kayaba1996" /> Imamura (1997) reported that 77 percent of boys aged 11-15 had retractile foreskin.<ref name="imamura1997" /> Thorvaldsen & Meyhoff (2005) conducted a survey of 4000 young men in [[Denmark]]. They reported that the mean age of first foreskin retraction is 10.4 years in [[Denmark]].<ref name="Thorvaldsen">{{REFjournal