How to cut your baby’s nails?

Discover our useful tips on cutting your baby’s nails safely. Learn how to keep your baby’s nails in perfect condition.

Being a parent for the first time is a period that is full of uncertainty and doubts about the health and wellbeing of our babies. We often hesitate about things that are just a matter of common sense because of all the information we are given through other people's experiences, family, friends, etc., who although are well intended, sow doubt in our minds and cause us to worry as new parents.

When and how to cut newborn babies’ nails is one of the most commonly discussed subjects among first time parents, since babies can scratch themselves with their sharp little nails, and that is precisely where we start to see disagreements among parents.

When should we cut a baby’s nails?

Babies' nails are weak and fragile when they are born, and they are often closely attached to the skin, meaning that we can unintentionally hurt them if we try to cut their nails.

It is also a period when babies scratch themselves, and over the first few days their nails harden and become sharper.

We should not cut their nails though until at least 3 weeks after they are born. Until that time arrives, we can use special nail files for babies to take off the sharp tips and round off their small nails to avoid them hurting themselves.

Tips for cutting a newborn baby’s nails

We should make sure we choose the right moment to do this, when the baby is relaxed after a bath, while it is eating or sleeping.
Use special baby nail scissors or baby nail clippers with rounded tips.
When children are small their nails are usually closely attached to their skin, and we should be careful not to cut into their skin.
Cut the nails straight without shaping them and not too close to the skin to avoid cuts and ingrowing nails.
If there are still some sharp points, avoid using the scissors to cut them off. Use a nail file instead to get rid of the sharp edges that they could scratch themselves with.