Nail care for Newborns

A baby’s hands and feet need care and attention too. Starting from keeping their hands and feet warm yet comfortable, to caring for their nails.

While buying mittens and booties for your baby make sure they are soft and not tight fitting for your baby. Gears for hands and feet of the baby needs to provide room for the baby’s toes and fingers to move. The mittens and booties should be of breathable and absorbent fabric as babies feet perspire more. You should allow some time in the day for your baby to be bare foot and without mittens as it allows them to flex and move their hands and feet while learning vital movements. Do not be in a hurry to make your baby wear tiny soft shoes as only wearing booties or socks will help keep them warm and allow movement.

Nail care for babies

Nail care for babies for their hands and toes are important as not only they become grimy but often are the reason of those big red scratches on your baby’s face. Fingernails of babies grow at a fast rate while toe nails take time to grow. Since a baby has no control on his movements, nails are often a cause of scratches on the baby’s skin as well as the mothers. It is a huge task to cut the nails of a baby as they cannot sit still and keep flailing their limbs.

Right time for cutting your baby nails

A great time to cut your baby’s nails is when he/she is sleeping as it allows you to do the task without any fidgety movements. Also nails become soft after a bath so post bath time is a good idea to cut your baby’s nails. Be extremely cautious while cutting your baby’s nails as it is quite easy to cut into a baby’s skin.

Basics for cutting nails of your baby

Some basics for cutting nails of your baby

• Ensure a well-lighted surrounding to help you see clearly while cutting the baby’s nails.
• Baby nail clippers or a pair of scissors with blunt edges can be used. You may take your partner’s help while cutting the baby’s nails as the baby has to sit still and somebody has to hold on to the baby’s hands. You can also cut nails when the baby is sleeping, your job will be made easier. 
• To avoid cutting into the skin, hold the baby’s hand or feet securely and move the finger pad away from the nail and then cut the nail. 
• Fingernails need to be cut along the natural curve of the fingers while toe nails should be cut straight across. Any rough corners in the fingernails and toenails should be filed with an emery board. 
• Avoid nibbling on your baby’s fingernails in order to cut them as not only can you see where you are biting into but you are also putting your baby at risk of an infection. 
• To prevent your baby from scratching himself put on mittens.

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