Newborn babies will usually have long fingernails (and toenails) at birth. Many parents are concerned about their baby scratching themselves with their fingernails, and may use cotton mittens to prevent this. A newborn baby's fingernails are generally quite soft and flexible, and may be able to be gently peeled off. However, as your baby grows older, their nails will usually become harder. At some point you will probably need to trim them.
NOTE: Do not try and cut your baby's toenails until they are at least 12 months old, as you can cause them to become ingrown and infected.
You can trim your baby's fingernails with a special pair of baby scissors (with rounded ends). Avoid using clippers, as these can be hard to manoeuvre accurately, and may injure your baby, if they move their hand unexpectedly. It is probably easier for one person to hold the baby, while the other one trims the nails, but you can place your baby in their bassinette, or bouncer, if you prefer.
Make sure your baby is calm and relaxed (possibly after a feed). Cut your baby's nail straight across and avoid cutting down the sides of the nails, as this can encourage ingrown nails and infections. Some parents will use a fine, soft emery board to smooth off any rough edges, although this is not absolutely necessary (and can be tricky!)
Never use your teeth to bite off fingernails, as the bacteria in your mouth can cause infections around your baby's cuticles. Occasionally a baby will develop infected cuticles from sucking their own fingers. The infection can appear as a red, swollen area on the skin around the nail and is known medically as 'paronychia' (pronounced 'pay-row-nick-ia'). Some parents will place cotton mittens on the baby's hands, to prevent further sucking. They may also possibly place a small amount of antiinfective ointment on the area (such as paw paw), to help it heal. Take care with what you put on your baby's nails, in case they suck it off.