My G.P. doesn't seem too concerned. Dear David, Testicles originate in the abdomen while the fetus is developing. As the fetus grows, the testes descend into the scrotum. Male infants born at term should have both testicles descended. Preterm infants often do not have the testicles fully descended, however, they do so by the time the infant is at the age of when he would have normally been born.
Many males have what are called retractile testes.
This is a benign condition in which the testes tend to lie high in the scrotum such that the scrotum may look empty especially when it is cold. Differentiating this condition from undescended testes is important and done by examination. The child is placed in a warm room and the doctor's examination is done with the child in a squatting position. The testes are then manually brought down into the normal position. This should not cause pain, and the testes then go back to their original high position when let go.