Newborn fingernails and toenails are most often soft and flexible. However, if they are ragged or too long, they can hurt the baby or others. It is important to keep your baby's nails clean and trimmed. Newborns do not yet have control of their movements. They may scratch or claw at their face.
- Clean the baby's hands, feet, and nails during regular bathing.
- File or trim nails when your baby is asleep so that there is minimal movement and risk of getting hurt.
- Use a nail file or emery board to shorten and smooth the nails. This is the safest method.
- Another option is to trim nails carefully with baby nail scissors that have blunt rounded tips or baby nail clippers.
- Do not use adult-sized nail clippers. You could clip the tip of the baby's finger or toe instead of the nail.
Baby's nails grow quickly, so you may have to cut the fingernails at least once a week. You may only need to cut the toenails a couple of times per month.
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References
HealthyChildren.org website. Nailing it: how to trim your baby's fingernails. www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/bathing-skin-care/Pages/Nails-Nails-Everywhere.aspx. Updated November 23, 2020. Accessed January 25, 2026.
Parga-Belinkie JJ. The newborn infant. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, et al, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 22nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 115.
Review Date 10/7/2025
Updated by: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.