Your baby: Nail care

Babies are born with soft nails. However, they soon dry out, and babies can easily scratch themselves.

When your baby is a few days old, smooth any rough edges with an emery board.
After a few weeks, use a small nail clipper or baby nail scissors.

It may be easiest to trim fingernails when your baby is napping

Related Links

Hygiene: Baths & nails

Bathing your baby

Back to Your newborn

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Pregnancy & Parenting Tips

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Headaches among pregnant women are a common complaint, but in many cases they can be prevented.

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Postpartum depression: Rachel's story

Source: Allina Patient Education, Beginnings: Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond, fifth edition, preg-ahc-90026, ISBN 1-931876-25-8

First published: 04/01/2002
Last updated: 05/01/2008

Reviewed by: Allina Patient Education experts

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