How to trim a newborn baby's nails?
Caring for a baby in the first months of his life causes a number of difficulties for new parents. And one of these difficulties is the procedure of cutting nails. They don’t yet know how to cut a newborn’s nails, so they have a little fear, because the baby’s hands are so small, the skin is so tender that any scratch can lead to infection. So how to carry out this procedure correctly?
Important!
You can’t cut your baby’s nails in the first weeks after birth! Since their nail plate does not yet detach well from the skin, which can cause bleeding after the procedure. And this can cause a number of complications, including infection of the newborn and infection of the skin on the fingers near the marigolds.
But then the question arises: when can you cut a newborn’s nails? You should start trimming your baby’s nails after the nail plate has gotten a little stronger. When this happens, you will notice for yourself. The nails will become a little stronger and thicker. This usually occurs 3 to 5 weeks after birth.
To prevent the baby from scratching himself with his nails during this period, it is recommended to put scratching mittens on his hands, which will protect the baby’s body from contact with nails.
To trim your baby's nails, you need to use special scissors with rounded tips.
If you don’t know when and how to cut a newborn’s nails, then we will now tell you everything in detail. So, firstly, such procedures should be started when your baby is in an excellent mood (after bathing or feeding). Some mothers cut their child's nails while he sleeps, and, as practice shows, this method is much more effective - the baby does not jerk his hand, and the likelihood of injuring him is reduced to a minimum. You can also carry out the procedure while bathing - at this moment the nails become soft and can be easily cut off.
Secondly, for these purposes you need to purchase special children's manicure scissors, whose ends are slightly rounded. They must be sharp in order to cut the nail plate well; dull scissors can lead to splitting of the nails. Before each procedure, the instrument should be thoroughly wiped with alcohol.
It is better to put off nail clippers for later, as when using them there is a high risk of damaging the baby’s delicate skin.
So, let's get down to the most important thing - how to trim a newborn's nails? You need to act confidently. If you worry, your hand may shake at any moment and the tips of the scissors will injure your skin. You should not cut your nails too short, as your baby may experience pain in his fingers. On the hands, nails should be trimmed in such a way that the nail plate protrudes approximately 1 mm and the corners are rounded. There is no need to cut off the corners of the nails on your feet; this will help avoid the formation of hangnails and inflammation in the future.
Sometimes it happens that a corner of the nail grows into the skin and inflammation appears. Although such a problem as an ingrown toenail is extremely rare in newborns due to the softness of the nail plate, at the first signs of an ingrown nail you should immediately contact a pediatric surgeon. You should not try to remove an ingrown toenail yourself - this can lead to serious complications.
The technique for cutting nails is as follows:
- take the newborn’s hand in your hand and firmly fix his finger;
- With one finger of your hand, slightly move the pad on the child’s finger;
- Carefully, but confidently, cut off the nail.
Some children's manicure sets have special nail files; you shouldn't use them on your feet, but you can use them on your hands. They round the corners of the nails well, but their frequent use can lead to delamination of the nail plate, so they should be used when necessary.
When hangnails appear on the legs or arms, it is also necessary to take measures to eliminate them, as they bring discomfort to the baby. You need to take scissors, treat them with alcohol, carefully cut off the hangnails and wipe the cut areas with antiseptic solutions.
In case of skin damage, it is necessary to immediately treat the wound with a sterile bandage and antiseptic. Also, the site of injury to the newborn’s skin can be treated with a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide.
All babies' nails grow at different rates, so you should visually determine if it's time to trim them.
Doctors recommend performing these baby care procedures every 6–9 days. However, each child’s body is individual; for some, nails grow very quickly, and after 2–3 days they need to be cut, while for others, it grows very slowly, and such procedures are required every 8–14 days.
