Caring for Your Baby's Nails

Keeping your baby's fingernails trimmed is important facet of newborn baby care. Babies with sharp fingernails can easily scratch their skin and in some cases form scars. You must continue to cut your kid's nails until they are able to cut their own. This is important so they do not scratch themselves, other children, or get bacteria under their nails which can make them sick. Growth rates differ for fingernails, but your child may need his nails cut a few times a week. With practice, you will be a pro in this aspect of newborn baby care.

There is no wrong way to cut your baby's nails, as long as you do not nick the baby, and the nails get trimmed. Here's the basic way to do it:

• Hold baby's finger and palm steady with one hand and trim with the other.
• Press down of on the fleshy pad of his fingertip to move the skin away from the nail.
• Cut along the shape of the nail. Snip any sharp corners or use an emery board.

Easy, right? If you're still concerned, here are some tips to make the job easier:

• Have your partner hold the baby while you trim baby's nails.
• Do it while your babe is sleeping.
• Use only baby nail clippers to trim the nails.
• An emery board is useful to trim jagged edges, or to file the nails down instead of trimming. Great for squeamish parents with patient babies.
• Wait until your baby is in a good mood and find something to distract him like a new video, a new toy, a favorite snack ...
• Store a pair of baby fingernail clippers in the car and trim his nails while he is asleep in his car seat.

Wanna read more? Check out this page full of information about babies!