Newborn and young babies have extremely sharp, thin nails. They also like to pull at their face, and often scratch themselves in the process. Many moms, wanting to protect their newborns from scratching their faces, make the mistake of clipping their nails too early. Fingernails on a newborn are often confused with real skin under the nail. Many times, moms will cut their fingernails, only to find that they draw blood by accidentally cutting the skin.

Instead of using baby fingernail clippers on newborns and young babies, cover your baby’s sharp nails with baby mitts. You’ll only have to do this for the first month or two of her life. Then, you can get out those nail clippers, or bite the nails off with your teeth. Some moms think that gets the job done better than nail clippers at such a young age.

Once your baby’s nails are long enough, or when they separate more from baby’s skin, you can break out those clippers.

Do you want to be caught up on all the latest happenings with your baby? Join SmartMomma Advantage for free! You'll receive your choice of e-mail newsletters, from monthly updates on your baby's development to weekly sales alerts. Stay up to date with the SmartMomma advantage! Join today!

Related Articles

Baby Health: Bumps & Bruises
Baby Behavior: Techniques to Stop Crying