
Are Baby Mittens Safe?
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ToggleWhen it comes to raising children, there are about as many opinions as there are people that have them. It seems like every parent has their own method of child-rearing and there are often disagreements about what is right and wrong for baby. Sometimes, the disagreement even happens within the same family. One of these debatable questions is: are baby mittens safe?
Those parents that are in favor of baby mittens will point out that mittens act as protection from baby’s sharp fingernails. They protect their delicate skin. They also can act as protection for the baby’s eyes.
However, there is another camp that would prefer their baby’s to go without mittens because they believe that wearing mittens will affect the baby’s sense of touch. They also feel that the fragile nature of a baby’s skin is a good reason not to wear mittens because of concerns over the materials used in the mittens and the possible presence of chemicals that could irritate the skin.
Another contributing factor to the debate is where the family lives. If they live in a cold weather climate, mittens may be a necessity for keeping the babies hands from getting cold when outside.
When it comes to newborn safety, most doctors do not directly promote the use of mittens for babies. They will however remind the parents to keep the baby’s finger and toenails clipped so that they will not scratch their own skin or eyes.
Clipping an infant’s tiny nails can be a daunting task, but there are ways to make it a little easier. Sooner or later you will have to learn these techniques because you can’t keep a baby’s hands covered with mittens forever. Once you are ready to give nail trimming a try, follow these helpful tips:
- Trim nails at times when the baby is sleeping. This helps remove the possibility of sudden movements that can cause problems.
- Make sure you are using tiny clippers that are made especially for use on a baby’s tiny nails
An alternative to mittens is clothing with lengthened sleeves that have flaps on the ends that cover baby’s hands. One problem with this type of clothing is that the baby’s hands can often slip out and they can still scratch themselves.
For those parents that are against baby mittens because it inhibits their sense of touch, the solution may be to only cover their hands when not supervised. If the baby is under direct supervision (which most babies are a lot of the time) then they should be free to have their hands free and exploring and touching the world.
In the early days of life, babies have very little ability to focus with their eyes. Their sense of touch is a very important aspect of how they explore and discover the world around them. In the end, perhaps the best solution is a combination of mitten use and special touch and feel sessions throughout the day. This may work for some and not for others. It’s really up to each and every parent to answer the question: are baby mittens safe?
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