It may come as a shock but ingrown toenails can happen to individuals of all ages, including infants and children. A few key signs that identify if your child has an ingrown is redness, swelling on the skin adjacent to the nail, and pain. Some toddlers may pull on their the foot because due to the pain and if your child is enough to walk, he may wobble or limp when he walks. Moreover, their toes will be very tender at this stage and could be very painful. It is important to try to avoid rubbing the toe against surfaces. This can be especially painful when rubbed against the shoes and socks as well, so if possible have your child wearing sandals throughout this process or minimal shoe and sock wear. If the ingrown becomes infected you will then start seeing a blister form with a white or yellow fluid.

As unfortunate as an ingrown nail sounds for our children, there are ways to treat and prevent one or stop it from worsening. If your child has one the best thing to do is make a warm water soak containing soap, in which they should soak their feet for about ten minutes, 2-3 times per day. You should then thoroughly dry the area, apply an antibiotic topical to the area, and you can even attempt to pull the nail out with a proper utensil that won’t harm hurt your baby. Lastly, If the problem persists, you should definitely contact your pediatrician or your primary care doctor to seek further treatment options.