Fingernails grow 0.1 millimeters daily, with a much faster pace in grown-up males. The nails even have a quicker growth pace during the summer. You are not alone in this world who just learned it. We, as pediatricians, also found it interesting when we first learned about these facts. And now that we know more about nails, we highly suggest our visitors make a habit of cutting nails soon they grow beyond average size.
We also learned that your infants’ nails often keep you busy as they grow fast and are delicate to cut.
We often believe nail cutting is a step towards making you a good parent. Nail cutting is usually required once or twice per week. Cutting the nails on time is also suitable as infants may scratch their skin and hurt themself.
Read more: When Should I Start Brushing My Baby’s Teeth?
Baby Mittens are Handy up to a Certain Point
Covering an infant’s hands with baby mittens or socks to prevent scratching is one way of protecting your child. But long nails aren’t the only issue. Babies tend to suck their fingers. So if your kid has long nails, leaving them unattended may cause digesting germs.
Besides all that, covering the hands also mean irritation. Babies won’t like that. The end solution is cutting the nails when necessary.
The Baby’s Mani-Pedi
Some parents are frightened by the idea of having to trim their children’s nails. They’d most likely opt for an expert manicure and pedicure if it were accessible. But no chances.
If you’re too afraid to clip nails, the nurse at the hospital may guide you on the right way to clip them off. But hospitals usually prohibit their staff from doing any such activity.
Newborn Nail-trimming Tips
Scissors and clippers are both excellent ways of getting rid of long nails. Some experts may suggest using nail fillers to trim nails. But they usually don’t work on infants. Infants have soft nails. Nail fillers work better on hard nails.
Read more: Feeding Solid Food to Your 1 to 3-Month-Old Baby
The steps to trim infants’ nails are:
- Cut nails when the baby is sleeping. That’s when the baby is least bothered and would allow you to cut the nails easily.
- Gently push down the fingertip skin so it gets easier to clip the nails. The idea is to accurately cut off the nails from one side to the other.
- Ensure you gently and equally trim the nail, not hurting the skin or cutting more than you need.
- Lastly, gently file the nails so there aren’t any rough edges.
