Paronychia (pahr-uh-NIK-ee-uh) is an infection of the skin around a fingernail or a toenail. It happens when germs get into broken skin around the nail. With treatment, paronychia usually goes away completely. Use these instructions to care for your child.

• Follow your health care provider's recommendations for whether your child needs to:
  • take any medicines by mouth
  • use any ointments
  • cover the area
• Soak the finger or toe in warm water for 10–20 minutes, 3 times a day.
• To help prevent another infection: 
  • Remind your child not to bite their nails or suck on their thumb or fingers.
  • Keep your child's nails smooth and not too short. Trim them weekly (monthly for toenails), but do not trim the cuticles.
  • Cut toenails straight across and not too short. Be sure shoes are not too tight. 
  • Have your child wear rubber gloves if they will have their hands in water for a long time (for example, if they have a job washing dishes).

• The paronychia gets redder, sorer, or swollen.
• Your child gets a pus-filled blister around the nail.
• Your child has a fever.

How does paronychia happen? When the skin around the nail is injured, germs can get under the skin and cause an infection. The skin can be injured from biting off a hangnail, thumb-sucking, pushing back the cuticle, or getting manicures. Kids who have their hands in water often are more likely to get paronychia. Paronychia happens less often in toes, but it can happen with an ingrown toenail.

How is paronychia treated? Treatment depends on what caused the paronychia and how serious it is. If there is a pus-filled blister, the health care provider will make a small cut in it and drain the fluid. Sometimes the only treatment needed is warm water soaks. Other times, antibiotics taken by mouth or put on the skin as an ointment are needed.