Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: nail biting + biting + nails  Related to the article below (Last Update: 8/7/2008)

Clear the air The National, United Arab Emirates - Aug 4, 2008 The next caller, another young man, has a nail-biting habit. ?How often do you bite your nails? Do you bite your nails habitually. Are you aware that you?re ... A nail-biting day for Heathcliff guardian.co.uk, UK - Jul 10, 2008 Those bitten nails? "I've tried to stop ... they're pretty good," he told the intrepid Gloria, who is a sympathetic person. which may be why she prised a ... Nails Guide Launches Informational Site About Nails PRunderground (press release), MO - Jul 14, 2008 The information on the site covers a plethora of subjects such as Airbrush nails, fake nails, Gel Nails, Nail Biting and various other subjects. ... BBC Sport Ten to watch: Phillips Idowu BBC Sport, UK - Aug 4, 2008 So if he doesn't nail it first time, it could be time to start biting your nails. What he says: "I feel like Superman. I don't think anyone can stop me. ... ESPN Magazine CASHING IN ON OLYMPIC HISTORY ESPN Magazine - Aug 5, 2008 "Muhammad Ali carrying the Olympic torch at the opening ceremony for Atlanta 1996 was moving, and of course the nail-biting, heart-stopping, ... When it comes to the (credit) crunch Scotsman, United Kingdom - Jul 29, 2008 The credit crunch may be biting but Alice Wyllie discovers that there are some of life?s little luxuries discerning Scots just cannot give up. ... Nail perfection, by the book Centre Daily Times, PA - Jul 15, 2008 Baek also offers tips on how to fix polish and breakage problems, stop biting your nails, pick the perfect color and more. The only bad part about reading ... Metro A taste of the bizarre Metro, UK - Aug 1, 2008 'This had a dramatic effect on the nail-biting, leading LeShan to declare sleep learning was an effective form of therapy.' It's more likely, argues Boese, ... The love is all around as popular pair woo crowds Scotsman, United Kingdom - Jul 20, 2008 Evert signed the rim of one cap while watching her husband putt and biting the nails of her other hand. It was an impressive display of multi-tasking. ... It?s time to get away from it all Liverpool Echo, UK - Jul 24, 2008 Will send you a post card, Gordon ... after you?ve got over tonight?s nail-biting Glasgow East bye-election. And I believe you do bite your nails . ...

How can I stop my son biting his nails?

It is very common for young children to suck their thumbs or put their hands in their mouths and nail biting can be a natural extension of this.

Although it can be made worse by anxiety, stress or insecurity in older children, there is rarely an underlying psychological problem in a child as young as your son and I would not worry too much about why he is doing it.

Certainly he will persist with it more if he finds it gains your attention, so you need to find the right balance between trying to stop him biting his nails while avoiding making nail biting the focus of every day.

If all your son does is bite off the tips of his nails it's not a serious medical problem. The only risk is that, as you say, he might eat dirt from under his nails. This could be a problem if you have young pets, such as puppies or kittens, as they are more likely to excrete infections like toxoplasmosis or toxocariasis in their faeces.

It would be important to make sure their excrement is beyond your son's reach and cleared up daily from any outside areas or garden where your son plays.

Nail biting also puts your son more at risk of threadworm as the eggs can live under his fingernails and can be ingested, hatching later into worms which cause itching and scratching around his anus.

Nail biting can become a problem if your son bites his nails more aggressively, particularly if he tears off his nails and causes his fingers to bleed.

The cuticle area, where the nail meets the skin, is especially at risk because the nail forms under the white half moon (you may only see this on his thumb as he is quite young) and grows out from underneath the cuticle. If your son bites the sides and the cuticles peel or tear he can develop a low grade infection of his nail root which can lead to permanently deformed nails.

If your son's nails show any sign of infection, such as finger tips which are always red, swollen, bumpy or a whitish, yellow discolouration of the nail itself, he needs to see your GP for advice and possible antibiotic or antifungal treatment. He may need to wear gloves as you suggest if his nails are infected.

Other techniques include a substitute such as a crunchy carrot, celery or cucumber stick; you can keep a store of sugarless lollipops as rewards for not nail biting.

Try distraction techniques by encouraging your son to play with his hands so that he cannot put them in his mouth - examples include water play, modeling with play dough or plasticine, painting especially hand or finger painting, helping you cook, playing on a musical instrument such as a drum, xylophone, piano - anything that means he has to use his hands in preference to anything else.

When he has periods of sitting still try to read to him and make him turn the pages for you, if he watches television help him to choose a favourite toy to hold as a substitute for putting his fingers in his mouth.

If all else fails you can try annoying his taste buds by painting his nails with something bitter - there are several over the counter nail bite products available from chemists which are suitable for children over two years of age, they may contain chemicals or natural products such as cayenne pepper extract or citric acid.

However, they can do more harm than good if your son feels he is being punished for being bad. You may feel it is better to avoid using them until he old enough to cooperate by understanding why you are making his nails taste foul.

We recommend readers seek personal medical attention in appropriate circumstances.