Brittle fingernails in children | Brittle fingernails

Brittle fingernails in children

At the beginning it is important to know that the disposition, which we get already with our conception on the way, plays a large role with the question whether we have brittle or firm nails. In addition, especially small children and babies still have very soft nails, which are less able to withstand the strain and therefore tend to split, especially at the upper end of the nail. It is recommended to keep the nails of children, especially those who tend to have brittle finger and toenails, short to prevent wide tearing, in the worst case up to the nail bed.

The fingernails should be round and the toenails straight. A nutritional deficiency in children under one year of age is very unlikely if attention is paid to a balanced, mixed diet including vegetables, fruit, cereal products, fish, meat and dairy products. Only later, when the older children’s own nutritional preferences and habits play a greater role, should a nutritional deficiency not be ruled out as a cause.Calcium plays a central role in nutritional, brittle nails, as it is important for nail build-up.

Foods containing calcium include cheese, milk, yogurt, green vegetables such as spinach, kale, broccoli, and nuts, such as walnuts and almonds. Even ordinary mineral water contains calcium, which also shows how important it is to drink enough fluids. In addition, external factors, such as stress and strain, are also important for children.

This can be remedied by caring for the nails with nail oil and rubbing silica cream into the hands, feet and nails. Both are available at the pharmacy, where you can also get more detailed advice tailored to the problem. However, there are also certain “diseases” that can lead to brittle nails.

First of all, however, it should be said that the coming causes are rarely responsible for the development of brittle fingernails. In the majority of cases, this is, as already mentioned, due to a predisposition. Rare causes can be: Anemia, i.e. a reduced number of red blood cells, whose pigment is responsible for the transport of oxygen, a fungal infection of the nail, for example through so-called dermatophytes, which are mainly found in the soil, an underactive thyroid gland and generally thyroid disease, as the thyroid gland plays an important role in the regulation of the calcium balance, a zinc deficiency, a vitamin A deficiency, for example after/after complete abstinence from animal foods such as meat, eggs and milk, as well as a number of inherited genetic diseases, such as the disease “Progeria”, which causes children to age prematurely and too quickly. If a deficiency or physical disease is suspected, a more precise determination and diagnosis can be made by the treating physician or a specialist in this field.