All You Need to Know About Baby Nails
Your baby’s nails will need attention from time to time.
Here’s a quick guide and all you need to know about baby nails.
Baby nails need cutting
It surprises some first-time parents just how fast their baby’s nails can grow. This isn’t just an appearance issue either.
Babies haven’t yet mastered full control of their hands, arms and fingers. That means their hands and arms can flail around a little in an uncoordinated fashion and if their nails are a little long, they can easily scratch themselves – sometimes fairly badly.
So, their nails need to be kept under control and you can buy specialist baby nail clippers for a very modest sum.
Using clippers
This is always safer and gives a better result than trying to use scissors, although some people also advocate the use of special baby-gentle emery boards.
Whichever you choose, the byword is caution. Babies love wriggling around and you’ll need to be very careful that you don’t nip them with the clippers. Some experts recommend doing this with someone else’s help, as they can gently hold your baby’s hand steady as you hold their fingers and the clippers.
The general approach isn’t much different to the way you’d use clippers on your nails. Simply gently pull back the baby’s pad of flesh at the top of their finger and then snip the nail away.
Baby’s reaction
Every baby is an individual and their reactions to clipping may vary. A lot will also depend on their age.
However, generally, babies might be fascinated for a few seconds but then they’re likely to become a mixture of resentful (that you’re pulling their hand and fingers around) and fearful because they won’t understand what you’re up to.
In reality, there’s not a lot you can do to absolutely avoid those reactions and the tears that might accompany them. Some babies get used to this very quickly and others never do. You could try:
- making sure you have someone to help and who distracts them by making silly faces etc;
- singing sometimes helps soothe and distract the baby;
- you could try doing this in front of a TV or PC screen so your baby has something else to look at.
When help is needed
Minor infections of the nail and cuticle (paronychia) are very common. You may notice a slight redness or possibly a whiteish deposit. That is rarely a cause for concern and a gentle washing or the use of a mild baby-safe antiseptic cream (recommended by your pharmacist) is usually all that’s required.
In a few comparatively rare cases the inflammation might become more pronounced and spread further down the finger or toe. If that happens, consult your doctor who may prescribe antibiotics.
Mittens
This subject has been the cause of many arguments and debates over the centuries!
In the past, babies may have had to wear mittens for many weeks or months after birth, often justified as stopping them from scratching and injuring their fragile skin.
Today, although it is something of a generalisation, most childcare professionals advocate allowing the child to develop its sensory awareness and the hands play a big part in that – assuming they’re not covered in mittens. So, the advice often provided is to only use mittens for a short time after birth or if at a slightly older age, there is some evidence that the baby is still accidentally scratching itself.
