Measurement of Stretched Penile Length in Term Neonates at a Single Tertiary Care Centre of South India

Evidence from several studies has shown that the penile length varies among different populations of different racial/ethnic groups. Size abnormalities of the newborn external genitalia may be a pointer to some endocrine and genetic disorders. In this study we have prospectively measured the stretched penile length of all newborns at our hospital in an attempt to define normative data for full term neonates of our region. All live male neonates born at our hospital were enrolled into the study. Stretched penile length was measured from the pubic ramus to the tip of the glans penis using a digital Vernier Calliper. The measurements were taken within 48 hours of birth. Two consecutive measurements were taken and the average was recorded as the final measurement. The mean stretched penile length was 2.63±0.35 mm and the mean diameter of glans was 1.04±0.09 mm respectively. The penile length significantly varied with the length (height) of the neonate as expressed in cms. The taller the neonate, longer was the penis. Similarly, the mean penile length and the diameter of the glans was significantly different (p<0.05) for different gestational age. The stretched penile length of neonates significantly correlates with the gestational age and the length of the neonate.