Daughter Scratches Head and Face

a friend of mine told me the same thing about biting her nails instead of clippers... and its true, it really is easier, doesn't get her skin, and you can feel if there are sharp pieces by running her fingers along your cheek/lips.
also, use a nail file... my dr. told me to only file until she was 1 month old. now that my baby is 4 months old, i am using clippers here and there, but still bite the nails if its easier (she tends to squirm too much with clippers, and i fear getting her skin) and then either way i follow up with a nail file just to get any sharp edges.

This is what worked for me, I used toddler socks that were tight on her forearm and really loose and baggy over her hands so she could use them still. I would take them off after the first AM nursing.

Biting their nails does get them shorter than clippers.

Hi Celesteial

Okay.. I have a sixth month old and know exactly what you are talking about. I hated using nail clippers on my baby cause the first time I did I made him bleed cause I cut one too short, so........ you may think this is weird or just plain gross but one of my friends told me that she bites her baby's nails cause she has more control over how short they are. I did that a few times and it worked! I am now more comfortable using the clippers so I don't have to do that anymore. Hope this didn't gross you out... if not, you should try it.

Jes

Do you think there is a reason she scratches her head and face...is she itching or anything? Yes with infants they can/do scratch themselves inadvertently....but as you described it, your daughter seems to do it "when she is frustrated..." Mittens are the usual way to cope with it... but the infant can also pull it off themselves if they really want to. I know you prefer not to use mittens... but if your girl is leaving "bloody gashes" on herself... then maybe you want to use that until she grows out of it, or until you find out why she is scratching so hard to bleeding.
Or perhaps is she allergic to anything? Perhaps the scratching herself "when she is frustrated" is really that she "looks" frustrated while scratching because something is itchy or something... thus her "frustrated" appearance. Not frustrated = scratching, but scratching=itching=frustration kind of thing. Is it just her head area that she scratches? If so, why? Or does she scratch elsewhere? Does she do this ALL the time, or is it a random occurrence? Infants, due to their nails being naturally thin and sharp, can sometimes scratch themselves unknowingly. But your daughter seems to do this most of the time? Use the process of elimination to see if their is perhaps a correlation as to why she does this...
You really need to address it with your Pediatrician. I imagine she must have all kinds of "bloody" scratches on her... you wouldn't want infection to occur or scars etc.
Infants nails are "sharp" no matter how close to the nib you cut it... their nails are thin and sharp.
Good luck,
~Susan
www.cafepress.com/littlegoogoo

My son has eczema which is aggravated by certain foods. When he has a flare up he will scratch his arms and legs. Have you started feeding her solids? Are you breasteeding? If you are nursing foods you eat are passed on to her. I would start a food journal and see if you can find a connection. Also, have you switched baby products (lotion, shampoo,etc)? You can go to www.ewg.org to see how safe the products you are using are. I had great success with my chiropractor testing my son for food allergies. It took the guess work out and was able to eliminate the offending foods quickly.

Hi Celesteial,
My daughter is one and she just started to scratch the back of her head and neck. She has mild Eczema and responds very well to Aveeno's baby lotion for eczema (it has the navy cap). We were putting lotion every where but the base of her hairline. We were using a scented shampoo on her hair but we are now using the Aveeno baby wash for eczema on her hair too. Her eczema started as a dry patch. Then it was red but smooth. At it's "worst" it was raised. She was given steriods but we only used them once or twice since we prefer not to use them and the Aveeno works well. We do also put it on her face since her checks get dry and chapped. Does eczema run in the family?
But even if her skin looks normal or not I would visit the dotors. And if you don't already or haven't for this, keep a journal. Then you can see if it's personality or physical. Good luck!