Trimming Baby`s nails

Although trimming your little one's nails can be a bit unnerving, especially at first, keeping nails short is important to your baby's safety. Because they lack muscle control, infants can easily scratch and cut their own delicate skin while happily waving their hands and feet. It's also important to keep babies' nails trimmed once they start interacting and playing with other kids who could be scratched, especially in childcare settings.

Some parents find it easier to accomplish the nail-trimming task with a partner: one person holding the baby to keep the little one from squirming and the other trimming the nails. First, find a good position that allows you easy access to your baby's hands. This may mean placing your baby in your lap, sitting with him or her in a rocker, or even waiting until your baby's asleep. Make sure you are in an area with good lighting so that you can see what you're doing.

Hold your baby's palm and finger steady with one hand and cut with the other. You should cut your baby's nails with baby nail scissors, which have rounded tips for safety, or baby clippers. Many baby nail-care kits also come with nail files or emery boards, but if you cut your baby's nails short enough and make sure to keep the nail edges rounded instead of jagged, it isn't necessary to use these. However, if you're hesitant to try baby nail scissors or clippers and your baby will sit long enough to cooperate, you can use an emery board to file the nails down without the risk of giving your little one any nicks.

If you accidentally draw blood (a common occurrence with fussy, fidgeting babies), don't worry. Using a sterile gauze pad, gently apply pressure to stop the bleeding. But don't put a bandage around the tiny cut — babies will inevitably put their fingers in their mouths and can dislodge the bandage and choke on it.

Because babies' nails tend to grow quickly from infancy to toddlerhood, they may need to be trimmed as often as once or twice a week. Some newborns need their nails to be trimmed even more often than that during the first few weeks of life.

For more How to trim your baby's nails

How to trim your baby's nails

Should I trim my baby's nails?

Newborn babies tend to have long, fast-growing nails, and you may worry that your baby will scratch his face with them. 

However, resist trimming your baby's nails before he is a month old. It's hard to tell which bit of the nail growth is still attached to the quick, and the tip will bleed if you trim too low. The nail may then become infected. Instead, use special mittens, put socks on his hands, or keep him wrapped up so his hands aren't near his face. 

When his nails have hardened a little, once he is about eight weeks, you can trim them, though do this carefully. If you accidentally nick the skin, try not to worry. Gently hold a piece of clean, damp cotton wool to the site and apply a little pressure. The bleeding will soon stop. 

Little fingernails grow so quickly that you may have to cut them or pinch them off more than once a week. His toenails will grow more slowly and require less frequent attention.

How do I trim my baby's nails without nicking his fingers?

The easiest way to trim your baby's nails may be to just peel the ends off with your fingers. They're so soft that the surplus will come away easily. 

Otherwise, you could buy a pair of baby scissors or nail clippers with specially rounded ends. Cutting his nails may be easier if there are two adults involved. One could gently hold him and keep him from wriggling too much while the other trims his nails. 

You may also want to try cutting your baby's nails while he is feeding or sleeping, so he'll be calmer. Press the finger pad away from the nail to avoid nicking his skin, and keep a firm hold on his hand as you cut or clip. Cut the nail around the curve of the finger, and his toenails straight across. However don't cut down the side of his nail, as this may cause ingrown nails and infections. 

You can also use an emery board to gently file your baby's nails. If they're not too long, this may mean you won't need to cut them. An emery board can neaten off any jagged edges after cutting, too.