Tips to Safely Cut Baby Nails

Medical Video: Clipping Your Baby's Nails - Boys Town Pediatrics Quick Tip

Cutting the baby's nails is really easy. Newborns tend to have nails that are soft, flexible, and grow quickly, so the nails become easily long and dirty. You may worry that your baby will scratch his own face in the early weeks, when he can't control his movements.

The best thing to do is to keep your baby's nails clean and short to prevent scratches. You can try placing gloves or socks in your baby's hands. Or, you can hold the baby so that his hands are safely protected.

Baby nails grow so fast that you may have to cut them more than once a week. Compared to hand nails, the baby's toenails grow more slowly, so you can cut them several times a month. This is normal if the newborn's toenails are curved following the contours of the foot, because at first their texture is soft and thin.

Your baby's nails will soon harden and grow faster. Meanwhile, you will find it difficult to distinguish which ones are growing nails and nails that are still attached to the flesh. If you trim too low, your baby's fingertips will bleed and create a risk of infection. So, find a way to cut baby nails that make you comfortable and confident in doing so.

How do you cut baby's nails without injuring his fingers?

Try to do it when the baby is asleep, very calm, or sleepy. The amount of light is very important, so you can see well. Use special baby nail clippers, or you can also use scissors or sandpaper specifically for babies. So that you can do it more easily, you can do the following:

Do it with others to help hold your baby while you cut your nails.
Cut the baby's toenails straight to prevent nails from growing.
Speak calmly, or sing for your baby when cutting nails.
If your baby is older, you might be able to divert it with toys or activities.
Give praise to your baby to help you quickly get it done.

The easiest way to keep your baby's nails short at first is to simply peel the tips of your nails using your fingers. His soft nails can make him grow easily. If you want to cut your baby's nails with scissors or baby-specific nail clippers, you need to do it carefully. Press the meat at the fingertips so that it is far from the nails, and hold hands firmly to avoid being cut.

Trim the baby's toenails straight, but don't cut them too short. Do not cut the side of the nail, because this can cause infection. Biting your baby's nails to keep them short is not a good idea. This can transfer germs from your mouth to every small wound on your baby's finger, and cause an infection. Also, by biting it, you also won't be able to see anything, because your teeth are bigger than your baby's fingers.

Overcome problems due to mistakes in cutting baby nails

If you accidentally cut out the skin, try not to panic. Gently wipe the injured part with a clean cloth, then cut the wet cotton and apply a little pressure. Bleeding will stop soon. Don't use tape, because fingers can suffocate by it.

Infants are quite common to get a small infection (paronychia) around the fingernails or toenails. This problem can be solved without the need for treatment. However, you may need to apply a small amount of an antiseptic or liquid cream to your nails. Sometimes this infection can spread further into the skin of the toes or fingers, causing the infected area to become swollen and red.

If you detect this on your baby's finger, then go to the doctor. Your baby may need antibiotics to treat the infection. If you use a cream to treat an infection, make sure that you put gloves or socks on your baby afterwards. This must be done to keep the baby from putting his hands or feet in his mouth.

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