Sunburn and Your Child

I remember the first time my pale skinned daughter had her very first run in with the sun. It was the summer of 1993, she was 6 years old and spent the afternoon out in the pool with some friends laughing, playing and having fun. I didn't think of the consequences of the hot sun beating down on her pale delicate skin until later that night when she was crying from the pain of the bright red blisters on her shoulders and back. After that I realized how dangerous and painful the sun could be for my child. Overexposure to the sun can greatly elevate a child's chance for life threatening diseases and add to the damage skin will show over time. As a result, parents must do all we can to protect our children, especially if their like my daughter with her pale white skin.

During the summer months, and with no school to contain them, kids will be spending most of their time outdoors so it's very important to remember to use all precautions against the sun. There are more than a million new cases of skin cancer diagnosed every year in the United States, and the numbers are on the rise, says Dr. Nathan Bradford, a pediatrician at Anmed Healthcare Center in Anderson S.C. Protecting your children while there in the sun can help them avoid the pain of sunburn and teaches them good habits they will be trained to use throughout the later years. Pediatricians recommend that you use a sun protect ant with an SPF of at least 15, and never expose a child who is under the age of 6 months to the sun. A good quality child's sunscreen must say 'broad spectrum', which means it will block the UVA and UVB rays of the sun, it must also be at least a 3 or, preferably 4 star rating, be of an opaque consistency that includes zinc oxide and it also must be waterproof. Even if it says waterproof it's still a good idea to reapply frequently after swimming for maximum protection. Some other things to keep in mind when your child is in the sun; it doesn't have to be bright and sunny for sun protect ant to be used, most sunburns occur on hot overcast days. People who are fair skinned, like my daughter; have the highest risk of damage from the sun. It's very smart to use sun protection items in addition to sunscreen, such as hats, umbrellas and clothing. For more information on sun protection visit www.bhg.com