A Swedish baby girl reportedly developed an enlarged clitoris that resembled a micropenis after repeated skin-to-skin contact with her father, who had unknowingly transferred testosterone gel from his chest.
Doctors later confirmed that the baby girl had been unintentionally exposed to the hormone, triggering the changes.
The incident is now one of several cases involving children affected by hormone therapy products applied by their parents.
Highlights
- A baby girl in Sweden experienced unexpected genital changes due to testosterone exposure from her father’s skin.
- Doctors have reported similar cases involving hormone transfer from parent to child.
- Experts urge caution when using topical hormone gels, especially around young children.
Skin-to-skin bonding turned risky due to an overlooked hormone treatment
Image credits: AePatt Journey/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
“Kangaroo care,” the practice of cuddling newborns directly against a parent's bare skin, is known for its benefits, such as the regulation of the baby’s body temperature and heart rate. It is also believed to help foster emotional attachment between a parent and a child.
But for one family in Sweden, that precious bonding time took an unexpected turn.
Image credits: Seraphine (Not the actual photo)
The father had been prescribed testosterone gel to treat hypogonadism, a condition where the body doesn’t produce enough testosterone.
The condition becomes more common with age, affecting roughly 40% of men over 45 and up to half of men in their 80s.
Image credits: Cultura Creative/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT), often administered through skin-applied gels, injections, or patches, is one solution used to manage symptoms like low libido, fatigue, muscle loss, and mood swings, according to the New York Post.
Unaware of the risks, the father had applied the gel to his chest and then held his newborn daughter against the same area during skin-to-skin moments.
Image credits: Physicians Rejuvenation Center (Not the actual photo)
Over time, her parents noticed changes in the baby’s genital area. Her clitoris had elongated, and her labia had begun to fuse, creating the appearance of a micropenis and scrotum.
Alarmed, they brought their 10-month-old daughter to a doctor, where blood tests confirmed high testosterone levels in the child.
Pediatric endocrinologist Professor Jovanna Dahlgren, who treated the child, told Swedish outlet Göteborgs-Posten that the family was devastated once they learned what had happened.
More children are being accidentally exposed to hormone medications at home
While the Swedish case occurred eight years ago, it is far from isolated. Dr. Dahlgren stated that she has seen at least six cases of accidental hormone exposure in children through contact with a parent’s skin.
One of the most striking involved a 10-year-old boy who developed breasts after coming into regular contact with his mother, who had been using estrogen cream.
Image credits: Monstera Production/Pexels (Not the actual photo)
These incidents highlight how powerful and easily transferable topical hormone treatments can be, especially for infants and children whose bodies are much more sensitive to hormonal changes.
In the Swedish baby girl’s case, the changes began to reverse once her father stopped using the gel and the exposure ended.
Image credits: Trik/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
While the baby’s condition gave her genitalia the appearance of a micropenis, doctors have clarified that this isn’t necessarily the correct term for her condition.
Micropenis specifically refers to underdeveloped male genitalia, while the Swedish baby girl’s case involved the virilization of female anatomy, which is an entirely different biological phenomenon.
Netizens, for their part, have criticized the baby girl’s dad for not being more careful.
“Dad basically rubbed testosterone cream on his newborn daughter,” one commenter wrote.
“No cure for stupidity. Ignorance is NOT an excuse,” another stated.
“After applying topical medication, whether that is testosterone, cortisone or even antibiotic cream, e.g., what fool would expose an infant to that?” another commenter noted.
Testosterone therapy is booming, but so are concerns about accidental exposure
Image credits: Andy Dean/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
The Swedish baby girl’s case comes amid a surge in the use of Testosterone Replacement Therapy across the globe.
In the United States alone, prescriptions for TRT jumped from 7.3 million in 2019 to over 11 million in 2023, according to a report from CBS News.
Image credits: Dusan Petkovic/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
High-profile personalities like Joe Rogan, Josh Duhamel, Sylvester Stallone, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have all publicly acknowledged their use of testosterone treatments.
The treatment has also proven very popular on social media, with the hashtag “TRT Before and After” trending on platforms such as TikTok.
Experts have warned that TRT carries risks, such as acne, testicular shrinkage, fluid retention, reduced fertility, and worsened sleep apnea. Thus, they have maintained that TRT must be used responsibly at all times.
Netizens highlighted that TRT treatments are supposed to be used with the utmost care and caution, especially around children
