Trimming baby nails – how to do it safely

Tiny nails, a wriggling child and the fear of cutting into the skin – a baby's first nail care honestly worries many parents. And with reason: baby nails are soft, the fingertips sit close behind them, and a baby does not keep still.

With the right tool and a few rules, though, it soon becomes routine.

From what age may the nails be cut?

In the first weeks of life, baby nails are often still very soft and grown together with the fingertip. Many midwives advise only filing the nails during this period rather than cutting them.

As soon as the edge of the nail clearly stands out and can be felt, you can reach for the scissors. There is no fixed age for this – every child is different.

The right tool

What matters is a pair of baby nail scissors with rounded tips. They are built so that they cannot pierce the skin, even if the child moves suddenly.

What you need:

• a pair of baby scissors with a rounded tip – the most important item
• a fine file for the first weeks and for smoothing afterwards
• good light

What you do not need: ordinary nail scissors for adults. Their pointed blades are simply too dangerous on a baby's fingers.

One more thing that matters: the child gets its own pair of scissors. Instruments are not shared – that is a matter of hygiene.

The right moment

The best moment is the one in which your child is calm:

• while asleep – for many parents the easiest way
• after the bath – the nails are softer then and the child is usually relaxed
• while breastfeeding or being fed – when a second person helps

Two people almost always make it easier: one holds and distracts, one cuts.

How to cut correctly

1. Wash your hands; the scissors clean and dry.
2. Hold the finger firmly but gently. Press the fingertip down slightly with your own thumb – that gives it distance from the blade.
3. Cut fingernails slightly rounded, following the natural shape of the nail.
4. Cut toenails straight across, not rounded. That prevents ingrown nails.
5. Better to work in several small cuts than in one big one.
6. Do not cut too short – a narrow white rim stays.
7. Smooth sharp edges with the file.

What you should not do

• Do not cut the cuticle. It protects the nail bed against germs – all the more so in babies.
• Do not bite the nails off. This widespread tip is questionable in hygiene terms: saliva carries germs to tiny injuries.
• Do not shorten into the nail bed. Nails cut too short hurt and grow in more easily.
• Do not work against the child's resistance. If it struggles, better to stop and carry on later.

How often?

Babies' fingernails grow fast and often have to be shortened once or twice a week – also so that the child does not scratch itself. Toenails grow considerably more slowly; here a gap of a few weeks is usually enough.

If something does happen

A small cut in the fingertip does occur and is usually harmless. Press briefly on the spot with a clean cloth until the bleeding stops and let it dry in the air. Plasters do not belong on a baby's fingers – they could end up in the mouth.

Show the child to a paediatrician if a spot reddens, swells, weeps or the child is clearly in pain – and likewise in the case of an ingrown toenail.

Conclusion

Rounded scissors, a calm moment, small cuts, not too short – no more than that is needed. The first nail care is the hardest part; after that it becomes routine.

This article is no substitute for medical advice. If you are unsure, talk to your midwife or your paediatrician.

To go with it at nagelzange.de:

• Baby nail scissors with rounded tips
• Nail files – fine files for the first weeks
• Nail scissors for the parents

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