Your new born is delicate and you must be extra careful while tending for your baby right from her bath to nails. Today, we present to you a list of nail care tips that can help you keep your baby’s nails clean and healthy.

11 Tips to Take Care of Newborn Babies Nails

Trimming the nails of your newborn child may not be as easy as you had expected it to be. The nails are soft and delicate. You need to take the necessary precautions when you cut them. It is important to trim the child’s nails at regular intervals, as they are sharp. The baby may scratch his own face or other parts of the body if you leave them untrimmed. However, you should know the right procedure to cut the baby’s nails to avoid injuring the fingers. Here are eleven tips that will enable you to provide the necessary care to the nails.

Trim the nails when the baby sleeps

If you try to cut the nails when the baby is awake, he may get injured due to movements of the limbs. Therefore, the best time is to cut the nails when the baby is asleep. The child will not panic or throw the limbs when you trim the nails during the sleep.

Trim the nails after bath

After the bath, the nails of the baby remain soft. This is the ideal time for you to trim the nails. You can use a pair of clippers or scissors to cut the nails of the baby.

Cut the nails under a bright light

You should be careful about the lighting, as a slight misalignment of clipper or scissors will cut the skin of the child. During the day, lay the child by the window and cut the nails. At night, make sure that a bright light is present overhead.

Safety during cutting

When you cut the nail, the finger pad should be pressed away from the nail. This will prevent the skin from getting cut. Hold the hand of the child firmly as you clip the nails away. This will ensure that he does not get injured even if he tries to move the hand.

Cut along curves

When you cut the finger-nails, you should cut along the curve of the finger. The natural curve of the child’s finger should be followed while cutting the nail. The nails of the toes should be cut straight.

The sharp edges

After you cut the nails, you will find that certain rough edges are left out. You should smoothen out these areas, so that the baby does not cut or scratch itself with the sharp edges of the nails. You may use an emery board to smoothen the edges of the nails.

Cutting the nails for the first few times

Doctors recommend to use an emery board to file the nails of the child for the first few times. The nails remain soft and you can easily file them off using the emery board. The nails are delicate during the first few weeks, chances are high that the skin of the fingers gets clipped away.

Distract the child

You need to distract your child and in order to keep him steady during trimming the nails. Use a toy or a fruit for the purpose. You may also play a cartoon on the television, so that the child remains unaware the fact that his nails are being trimmed.

How to treat cuts

If you happen to cut the finger of the child, do not panic. Simply hold the finger under running water and press the area gently using a piece of cotton or tissue paper. Apply cream or other ointment recommended by the doctor in the finger.

Do not bandage the finger

It is important to note that you should not bandage the finger of your child. He may put the finger into the mouth and the bandage may come out and choke him.

In case of severe bleeding

If you find that the wound is deep and the bleeding continues, you should seek help from a doctor. They will provide the necessary treatment to stop the bleeding and help the cut to heal. However, most of the times, pressing the area with a tissue paper stops the bleeding.

The next time you trim the nails of your child, these tips will turn out to be helpful to you. Do not let the nails grow too long, as the child may injure himself. Take the necessary safety measures when you cut the nails of your child.

Read More: Smart Ways to Instil Hygiene in Your Baby

References:

http://www.pbcexpo.com.au/baby/newborn-care/tips-for-trimming-baby-nails/

https://www.babycenter.com/0_how-to-trim-your-babys-nails_10027.bc