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'''Ballooning of the foreskin''' occurs when [[urine]] flows out of the [[urethra]] of the [[penis]] faster than it flows out of the [[foreskin]] of an [[intact ]] boy. Ballooning cannot occur until the inner layer of the foreskin has separated from the [[glans penis]] to which it is attached by a [[synechia]]. Although ballooning is a developmentally normal condition, not every boy experiences ballooning. Ballooning may cause some transient, temporary discomfort if it pulls apart the synechial connection to the glans penis.
The layer of [[dartos]] muscle in the foreskin keeps the tip closed to protect the penis from [[infection]].<ref name="fleiss-hodges-vanhowe1998">{{FleissP HodgesF VanHoweRS 1998}}</ref> The pressure of the [[urine]] is necessary to open it to allow passage of [[urine]]. The pressure is what causes the ballooning.
Babu et al. (2004) compared boys with ballooning with boys without ballooning. No evidence of obstructed urinary flow was found. Ballooning is a self-limiting condition that disappears with normal development.<ref name="babu2005">{{REFjournal
}}</ref>
No attempt to retract the [[foreskin ]] should be made. Forcible retraction is harmful. Wright (1994) advises that the first person to retract the boy’s foreskin should be the boy himself.<ref name="Wright1994">{{REFjournal
|last=Wright
|init=JE