The fingernails and toenails of newborns are usually soft and flexible. It is important to keep the nails clean and trimmed. Newborns cannot control their movement and as a result may scratch  their faces.  The only care your child’s nail require is trimming. You can use baby nail  clippers or a blunt rounded tip scissors. You need to be careful not to accidentally cut the tip of the baby’s finger. This can cause pain and bleeding.

Baby nail care

The best time to trim your  baby’s nail is when the baby is asleep or after bathing when the nails are softest.Newborn’s fingernails grow very fast and you may need to trim them at least once a week. Toenails on the other hand do not grow as fast and may need trimming only about twice a month. Do not use adult clippers as this may cause you to clip the baby’s  finger or toe tip instead. Make sure you have enough light to see what you are doing to prevent accidents.

NOTE : Some parents bite their baby’s  nails. You should AVOID  doing this. This can cause introduction of germs from your mouth into any cut the baby may have on his finger and cause an infection.

If i cut a fingertip , how do i stop bleeding ?

This happens to a lot of parents so do not be harsh on yourself. Rinse the cut under cool water.  Wrap the baby’s finger with a tissue and apply a little bit of pressure. The bleeding should stop within a couple of minutes.

it is a essential to avoid using bandage for the baby’s finger. It may come off when the baby puts his finger in his mouth and cause choking.  If the bleeding doesn’t stop, contact your child’s doctor.