Safety 1st Fold-Up Nail Clippers; ACK! @#$! WAAAHHH!
Written: May 14 '04 (Updated Jul 05 '04)
Product Rating:
Pros: Easy to grip handle; clippers strong enough to trim even adult nails.
Cons: Sharp cutting edge; edge too wide for baby fingernails, doesn't trim effectively; cuts baby easily!
The Bottom Line: I live my life in fear of these clippers. Surely there must be a way I can trim my daughter's nails without removing her fingertip as well!
krissingene's Full Review: Safety 1st Fold-Up Nail Clipper 10435
After three months of frequent baby fingernail trimming and reading several glowing reviews of the Safety 1st Fold-Up Nail Clippers, I am feeling a bit like a mommy failure this morning. You see, no matter how hard I try, those tiny baby fingernails defeat me every time, and somehow a pair of miniscule nail clippers has become the scariest item in our home.
I knew before becoming a mommy that baby fingernails grew quickly and required frequent trimming, and figured that due to the tiny wiggly fingers it would be a daunting task. I thought that waiting until she was asleep would probably be safest and always spend an unreasonably long time at the task - but nothing prepared me for the first time I nipped my precious daughter's fingertip.
~* In the Beginning *~
My husband and I had made it a habit during my pregnancy to pick up a couple of baby items each week while shopping so that we'd be ready when our little bundle arrived (or at least as ready as one can be!) Somewhere along the way we picked up the Safety 1st Fold-Up Nail Clippers.
Measuring nearly 3 1/2" in length (more than 2" of which is handle), these clippers are comprised of a ridiculously miniature version of silver adult clippers with the blue Safety 1st logo imprinted on the handle attached to a larger white bulb-shaped handle, thick and flattened to fit securely in an adult hand.
Knowing that our daughter may very well have long fingernails even at birth, these clippers were packed away in the hospital bag and taken with us to her delivery. Sure enough, she was born with the most beautiful tiny - but long - fingernails. I, with my short fingernails that won't grow for anything, was immediately jealous. Then panic-stricken, realizing that it was up to me to trim them! An information sheet that I had been given at admission to the hospital stated clearly that nurses in the birthing center were not allowed to trim newborn fingernails; why they can suck snot, prick heels, monitor heartbeats and other bodily functions and perform a host of other duties besides - yet not trim a fingernail for a nervous new mother - is still beyond my comprehension.
~* Here Goes Nothing *~
...and in the beginning it was very close to 'nothing' indeed. I finally got the nerve to trim her nails for the first time a few days after her birth, relying heavily on those silly-looking newborn mittens until then. With a peacefully sleeping baby snuggled in my lap, I unfolded one tiny fist and set about my work.
As with regular nail clippers, the handle must be twisted around into an upright position before use. Having done this, I found one tiny finger and attempted to manipulate the edge of the clippers underneath the nail. But...wait...why wouldn't it fit? The bottom lip of the clippers, small as it was, was still too large to effectively wedge it underneath her fingernail for a close trim, a fact that hasn't changed over time.
Not being able to position the clippers well near the base of the fingernail, it's nearly impossible to trim her fingernails to a point where she doesn't immediately scratch her face with them; in fact, her worst scratches occur just following a nail trim - and I think I've figured out why.
~* Why Would They Design It This Way? *~
The opening of these clippers, like all clippers you've seen before, is designed in a curved U-shape which, on adult fingernails, results in a nicely curved fingernail after trimming with the outer edges being nicely turned down. However, this is assuming that the nail clipper fits around the fingernail properly.
The opening on these clippers is more than 1/4" across, much wider than any baby fingernail on which it might be used. Because it is so much wider than the nail itself, baby's fingernail is often trimmed using the center part of the clipper opening. Thus, instead of leaving the nails in a neat half circle after trimming, they are shaped more like a U, with a dip in the center of the nail and longer, often rather pointy, edges. It's no wonder she scratches herself more fiercely after a trimming! To add insult to the whole trimming endeavor, after each session I must take a small emory board and file down the pointy edges of her nails in an attempt to save herself the pain of a scratched face. Safety 1st should certainly have caught on to the idea that a more narrow cutting base would better suit a baby's tiny fingernails - and I can't imagine that it would make trimming more difficult than it is already.
~* The Long Haul *~
The Safety 1st Fold-Up Nail Clippers are definitely sturdy; the sharp metal edge has been proven tough enough to trim my own fingernails on the occasion I was caught away from my own clippers. They are so sharp, in fact, that they also very easily cut through skin.
It wasn't so long ago that, as usual, I was curled up on the couch with a sleeping babe in arms, ready to do the deed. Carefully, I trimmed one hand, working from her tiny little finger inward. Finally reaching the thumb, I positioned the edge of the clippers over her little nail and squeezed gently. She awoke with a start, her small face scrunched and red, and let out an indignant howl just as I saw the dark red spot emerging from the tip of her thumb. I had cut my baby! I grabbed a tissue and pressed it to the wound and, when I had finally stopped crying some time later, noticed that she had fallen back asleep.
Yet again, not long after the first mishap, I was trimming her nails and nipped the end of her middle finger; again she screamed, but the incident seemed to pass from her mind much more quickly than from mine. For a pair of clippers designed by a company whose emphasis is on safety, they sure don't seem to be very safe in my hands.
For now, my Safety 1st Fold-Up Nail Clippers have been relegated to the 'junk' basket on a shelf of the changing table, full of all sorts of odds and ends that I have not yet had occasion to use or just plain don't need. Once she's a bit older and her fingernails wider, I'm sure we'll bring these clippers out again - after all, they've proven themselves worthy of even adult nails and so should last for quite a while. But while she is still so young and her tiny hands so small and delicate, I am definitely on the lookout for a better, safer clipper.
For More Information
Visit Safety 1st online at www.safety1st.com, call 1-800-544-1108 (7 AM - 6 PM EST Monday through Thursday, 7 AM - 4:30 PM EST on Fridays) or write to:
Dorel Juvenile Group
Consumer Relations Department
P.O. Box 2609
Columbus, IN 47202-2609
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