Weak toe nails - anyone else's child experience this/any advice?

[scoobysnax]

My dd age 3 has always had soft toe nails that are hard to keep in proper shape. Her shoes are always properly fitted by Startrite, and she goes without shoes normally when indoors. She is a fussy eater with a limited diet, but drinks plenty of milk and has a vitamin supplement. My own nails are OK but on the weak side, not like some of my friends who seem to have nails of rock...
Does anyone have a similar experience or any advice?

Hi, scoobysnax. My DS2 is nearly 10 and his toenails are still so soft they curve over the ends of his toes. (He squeaks a bit when I cut them!) His fingernails are very tough though. Seem to remember my older kids were the same and their toenails eventually got tougher.

What I find strange is that DS2's nails grow very fast, but his hair grows slowly, while DS1 (14) is the opposite - he is always at the barbers but his nails are always short.

janh - my 5 yr dd's toe nails curl over the top, and are slowly becoming more noraml shaped. My 9yr's nails are still soft but they are a lot harder than the 5 yr old (I think I'm saying that their nails seem to be getting harder as they grow older). Its also worth checking their socks aren't too small. Can you ask your health visitor to have a quick look?

Hi, helen - do you think 10 is a bit old to still have squidgy toenails then? Not sure we still have a HV...the one we used to have retired, bumped into her at Sainsbos at the weekend, had a long chat about her grandson and sundry young people of mutual acquaintance,half of them doctors or nearly so...it's another world when your kids grow up.

Some of DS's socks may well be too small. Think the main problem is keeping on top of his nail growth.

(Hope you were talking to me and not scoobysnax!)

My poor dd has inherited her daddy's squidgy toenails - his are still squidgy at 33 !!! Mine are rock hard and I find it really hard to cut dd's as they are so different to mine !

Fortunately she's got mummy's fingernails though !

Janh - sorry I should have put scoobysnax name at teh front . I'm with you in that the older they get the stronger their nails get. My 5yrs nails are gradually straightening. Isn't there a old story about eating gelatine to make them stronger.