Baby's Razor Nails

December 27, 2007 7:47 AM

What can I do to prevent my baby from scratching his face?

My 3 month old looks like a cat attacked his face. His nails are like razor blades. I've tried clipping and filing his nails - it takes a good hour even if he's asleep and they're back to razors within hours. I've tried biting them, but my teeth are too big and his nails are already so short, just sharp. I've tried mittens, but he gets those off in minutes and I don't really want to restrict his exploration tools like that. I realize every baby struggles with this, but the sides of his face and forehead are almost completely scratched open - I feel I must be missing something.

posted by lynda to grab bag (21 comments total)

Mittens!
posted by greekphilosophy at 7:51 AM on December 27, 2007

socks. get longer toddler socks, ones that go up to or past his elbows.
posted by nushustu at 7:52 AM on December 27, 2007

as mentioned in the question, mittens don't work.
posted by lynda at 7:52 AM on December 27, 2007

The standard is mittens, they will quit doing it eventually, when you are with him just swat his little hands away, when you are not with him mitten him up.
posted by stormygrey at 7:53 AM on December 27, 2007

Way to read the question, greekphilosophy....

Sorry, I really just wanted to shout "Mittens!"

Cause babies wearing mittens are cute!

Have you tried using special baby clippers? I know those fingers can be really tiny and hard to work with. You might also try clipping them shorter than you might thing necessary or comfortable. The temporary discomfort baby will feel from having supershort nails will be outweighed by scratches. When I met my sister's baby (same age) he had little razors on his fingers. She took him to the doctor for one of his checkups and they did it there (I think).
posted by greekphilosophy at 7:55 AM on December 27, 2007

Can you stitch the mittens onto the sleeves of his garment? Then he can't work them off. Also he doesn't really need his "exploration tools" while he's asleep, and when he's awake, you can just swat his hands away.

Is he scratching because he's itching, or is he just accidentally hitting his face while waving his arms around? If he's itchy-- talk to the pediatrician? Maybe there's some topical that will help.
posted by nax at 7:58 AM on December 27, 2007

Our baby is only two months, but we use a big gentle nail file, probably meant for human pedicures. I know you say you file them, but I'm unsure how your baby's nails can be back to razors so quickly if you file them? Are you perhaps being timid and not filing enough?

It took us a while to get the hang of the file, and we're still not perfect, but it's our best solution so far. Our friend banded socks to his baby's hands, which, as you say, does restrict some hand movement.
posted by GaelFC at 8:15 AM on December 27, 2007

Instead of using mittens you could cover the tip of each finger with something (I would say duct tape but I doubt the baby would like that).
posted by Memo at 8:24 AM on December 27, 2007

i actually found little baby nail scissors to be easier to operate than clippers or a file. get someone else to help you distract/keep the baby as still as possible in order to get the nails cut short and even.

if the baby is scratching his face in his sleep, one possible option would be to swaddle him, so he can't get hands to the face. i really liked the miracle blanket swaddle.

i also would flip up the little mitten cuffs on the end of the sleeves of his little wondersuits which would help minimize scratching when he was awake. i don't know a specific brand of clothing that has this same 'feature' incorporated into baby wear in the us, but i'm sure it exists.

good luck.
posted by netsirk at 8:25 AM on December 27, 2007

I'm guessing you're being a little timid with the clippers. You've got to cut those nails as short as you can. I try to get my thumb on the pad of my baby's finger, pull it back gently so the nail sticks out as much as possible, and then clip it as short as I can get those baby clippers in. Works well, we only have to clip him once or twice a week (usually once), and we don't use a file.

If you're worried about accidentally clipping skin from time to time, well, you will. It's no big deal, you get better at it.

Don't put mittens on a 3-month-old, at least not while he's awake. He's just beginning to learn how to use his hands.
posted by middleclasstool at 8:40 AM on December 27, 2007

Another not helpful answer: I was told by a lactation consultant not to use mittens on a baby, because the way they put their hands in their mouths helps them get ready to nurse.

Hmmm. I wonder if that's why he's batting at his face, if it is deliberate? Maybe he's hungry?
posted by The corpse in the library at 9:27 AM on December 27, 2007

I know this sounds weird, but for Moms who are afraid of snipping with scissors or clippers, try nibbling off the nail, just like you used to bite your own fingernails when you were a kid. Your baby won't think it's odd, and it is quite easy and less traumatic for all concerned.
posted by mmf at 9:36 AM on December 27, 2007

The OP has tried that, mmf. :)
posted by iguanapolitico at 9:58 AM on December 27, 2007

Okay, this is an off-the-wall suggestion. I was thinking why not nail polish, which will make the edge of his itty bitty nails thicker, right? but of course, there's a little toxicity there, and maybe that's too worrisome. But what about non-toxic rubber cement? Just a little bead on each nail tip?
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 10:09 AM on December 27, 2007

My (second) baby is about the same age. This is my second time around with these problems. Some babies do scratch their faces more than others. It's awful.

Try clipping the nails a bit shorter or use a nail file. You should also visit your doctor to see if the baby might have a minor condition that's causing itching. My doctor and community health nurses told me not to use mittens or anything else that covers the baby's hands or fingers. It interferes with their nursing, their exploration, their muscle development, hand-eye coordination, etc. It turns out my baby has some mild eczema. Also, responding to hunger cues asap really helps -- I find the problem comes up in the car or at night when I am trying to change a diaper before nursing, times when it's hard to feed the baby immediately, even if you pull the car over or change a diaper at high speed.

At your baby's age, he's just learning to coordinate his hands. It will get better. You should talk to your doctor about topical treatments for any scratches.
posted by acoutu at 10:13 AM on December 27, 2007

Our little girl was born with a full head of hair and had all sorts of problems with grabbing her hair and pulling. Often we dressed her in the infant pajamas that have built in hand covers/mittens. I'd assume this would work great for the scratching as well.
posted by Octoparrot at 10:50 AM on December 27, 2007

Seconding middleclasstool and acoutu, clip shorter than you think you ought to, and investigate if he has mild eczema. I found filing took way too long for little result and clippers do the trick, although its scary!
posted by Joh at 11:14 AM on December 27, 2007

we were having the same issue with our four month old, and we changed from clippers to a pair of $20 pair of nail scissors. Since then we have had very few issues, as they tend to make a much better cut ( it could be that we had really bad clippers).
posted by brent_h at 1:52 PM on December 27, 2007

As well as stopping him from scratching, I think investigate further why he's scratching, ie why his face is itchy. Allergy to the washing powder you wash his bedding/pillow with? Allergy to mites? A skin condition? Try different bedding, try different washing powder/fabric softener, get his mattress steam cleaned, try some itch-relieving cream on his face ... I'm out of ideas there, but others may have more.
posted by aeschenkarnos at 6:33 PM on December 27, 2007

My mother used to safety pin the long sleeves of the shirt to the diaper, back when they had diapers. I was itchy because I was allergic to soap, every brand except Ivory. They worried more about you putting your eye out and scarring your face back then.
posted by unrepentanthippie at 12:39 PM on December 28, 2007

Don't have much to add that your fave'd answers state, but I noticed that our little one healed really, really fast from her scratches (she's 10 months old now, well past the scratchy stage).
posted by lowlife at 6:33 PM on December 28, 2007