Will my baby need an op?

Q My baby boy has been born with only one testicle. My GP says not to worry at this stage and we just need to wait. But surely something’s wrong? Will he need to have surgery? Alix, west London

A Around one boy in 25 is born with one or both testicles missing from their scrotum. Usually, this simply means that the testicle is still on its way.

A baby boy’s testicles develop in his abdomen and gradually start to move down into his scrotum a few weeks before he’s born, and sometimes one or both haven’t finished this journey until after birth.

So it’s worth waiting – usually the testicles will find their way down within a few months.

But a testicle that still hasn’t appeared by around the age of 1 year isn’t likely to appear on its own and this will mean a small operation in order to bring it into its proper place, as leaving it inside the abdomen risks infertility and even testicle cancer in later life.