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How to Trim Baby’s Nails, Clean Baby’s Ears and Care for Baby’s Eyes Baby’s Nails It is best to keep a baby’s fingernails trimmed as short as possible. This will keep babies from scratching themselves, as well as their caregivers. Some parents are uncomfortable trimming a newborn’s nails. These parents will generally place mittens on their infant’s hands to protect the baby from scratching himself or herself. The best time to trim a baby’s nails is after a bath when nails are the softest. For infants who resist opening their hands, or who may squirm and wiggle, you can trim their nails while they are sleeping. It may appear that babies have quicker nail growth than adults. However, that is not necessarily true. Babies have tiny fingers and nail growth is simply more noticeable. Some babies will need to have their fingernails trimmed up to twice weekly. A baby’s toenails will generally grow at a slower rate than his or her fingernails. Toenails are very thin and soft, but as the baby gets older, toenails will strengthen and become harder. It is not necessary to keep a baby’s toenails trimmed as short as his or her fingernails. Keep your baby’s fingernails and toenails trimmed by using baby nail clippers. However, instead of clipping, many parents choose to file their baby’s nails with an emery board. How to Clean Baby’s Ears Never attempt to clean inside a baby’s ear canal. Use a warm moist washcloth to clean outside, behind and around a baby’s ears. If you see a wax buildup in your baby’s ears, never try to remove it. You should consult your pediatrician about the wax buildup if you think it is a problem. Never put drops into your baby’s ears unless you have been directed to do so by your baby’s pediatrician. How to Care for Baby’s Eyes Use either a soft washcloth or cotton balls to cleanse a baby’s eyes. Dip either the cloth or cotton balls in warm water and squeeze out the excess water. (Never use soap to clean a baby’s eyelids.) Wipe baby’s closed eyes from the inside corner to the outside corner.
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