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Infant Nail Care
Trimming your baby's tiny fingernails can be a challenging task, but it is an extremely important one! Tiny unkempt nails can do a lot of damage to your baby's sensitive skin, especially to your baby's face. To prevent your newborn from scratching herself or himself and others, fingernails should be trimmed about once a week and their toenails about once a month.
If you have any fear about clipping your baby's nails, follow these simple steps to make nail care as painless as possible, for both you and your baby.
- A good time to tend to your baby's nails is after a bath. Bathwater will soften nails, making them easier to cut.
- You may want to enlist the help of an assistant to hold your infant's hand steady while you cut.
- For the first three or four weeks of life, file your baby's nails using a soft emery board. This is necessary because your baby's skin is still attached to the nail during this period.
- After a few weeks, you can use baby nail clippers designed to follow the natural curve of the fingernail.
- Remember to cut toenails straight across to avoid ingrown nails. A baby nail scissor may be best for this.
- Gently push the pad of the finger or toe away from the nail as you trim.
- If you do draw blood, which can occasionally happen, apply gentle pressure with a sterile gauze pad until the bleeding stops.
- If you are still uneasy cutting your squirming baby's nails, you may want to wait until they are asleep. This may be easier, especially if you have a sound sleeper!
- Keep an eye out for infected or ingrown nails. It will probably hurt when touched and look red and inflamed. A warm compress may help, but be sure to tell your pediatrician because an ingrown toenail can sometimes require additional treatment.
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