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Home › Articles › Basic Care › Caring for Baby's Nails

Caring for Baby's Nails

Tips to Trim Without Fear

By Kim Seidel

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For Jennifer Porter, mom to a 2-year-old son, clipping nails is one of the "scariest parts of parenting by far." She shares this as "a victim of an overzealous but loving father who nipped a little off" her pinkie finger when she was a baby getting her nails cut. "We laugh about it now, but I don't want the same for my kids," says Porter, who is 8 months pregnant with a baby girl.

Trimming a baby's nails can be challenging and is often one of parents' least favorite care-giving tasks, says Dr. Tanya Remer Altmann, a pediatrician based in Westlake Village, Calif., and author of Mommy Calls: Dr. Tanya Answers Parents' Top 101 Questions About Babies and Toddlers (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2008). "I know many dads who would rather change all of the dirty diapers than cut their baby's nails – my husband included," says Dr. Altmann, a mother of two young boys, both of whose nails she's clipped since their birth. "I currently clip their nails once a week, usually on a Sunday night."

Trimming a baby's nails can be intimidating for first-time moms – and moms with other older children as well. Yet it's a task you can't ignore. "It's important to try to keep your baby's nails trimmed to prevent them from accidentally scratching themselves or other caregivers," Dr. Altmann says.

Many parents dodge cutting those tiny nails by putting gloves on Baby's hands. Dr. Altmann advises against this. "Parents often put gloves on their newborns' hands so they don't scratch themselves and sometimes because they can't keep up with the nail growth or they are nervous to clip," she says. "If possible, don't put gloves on her hands. She needs to touch things to learn about her environment."

Pediatrician Tips for Nail Trims

Dr. Altmann recommends using small nail clippers on an infants when they are sleeping or nursing. "Some very coordinated moms can actually cut or clip their baby's nails while they nurse," Dr. Altmann says.


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