Sunburn Relief for Kids

I was alarmed to learn that one blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles a person's chances of developing melanoma later in life. When I was a young Mother, I took my 6 month old daughter on a picnic to the lake with some friends. I set up a lawn chair under a tree with a blanket where she napped while I sat right next to her. My daughter was protected from the sun by the shade of the tree, or so I thought. In just 30 minutes, while she lay sleeping and I ate my hamburger, the UV rays that weaved in and out between the leaves burned her forehead and caused a blister. I took her to the doctor and was stunned when he told me she received a second-degree burn.

It is common knowledge that UV rays from the sun and from artificial light sources like tanning beds and sun lamps can be a dangerous contributor to skin cancer. Yet in a study done by the American Cancer Society, it was found that most American kids do not protect themselves from sunburn. Less than one-third of U.S. youth aged 11-18 years, routinely practice effective sun-protection behaviors. On a sunny day, only 31% of kids surveyed were using a sunscreen to protect their skin. Less than one-third of kids were wearing sunglasses. Less then one-quarter of the kids surveyed were wearing long pants or staying in a shaded area.

In another survey of parents with children under the age of 12 years, it was found that approximately 43% of white children had experienced at least one sunburn in the past year. The risk of sunburned kids doesn't just happen at home, though. Often times, kids are not protected from UV rays while at school. For more information about keeping kids safe from sunburn while at school, check out the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Guidelines for School Programs to Prevent Skin Cancer. These guidelines are available on the CDC web site (click here)

Sunburn Relief for Kids

Obviously, the best sunburn relief for kids is to protect them from getting sunburned. Babies under six months of age should never be exposed to the sun. Sometimes those sunburn safety controls are out of a parent's hands, so here are recommendations for providing sunburn relief for kids:

Consult a doctor if an infant under 1 year of age gets a sunburn.

Consult a doctor is if sunburn symptoms include fever, large fluid-filled blisters, vision problems after you get out of the sun, nausea and vomiting increase, signs of skin infection, signs of allergic reactions, or severe pain.

Do not use the cream, ointments, or lotions on children under the age of 2 unless instructed by the doctor.

Gently dabbing on plain calamine lotion might sooth the burn and itch, but don't use calamine with an added antihistamine.

Give acetominophen at recommended doses if your child's temperature is above 101 F.

Do not use cream, ointments, or lotions in the private areas of children under age 12 unless recommended by your doctor.

Apply aloe vera lotions or topical steroids, such as 1% hydrocortisone cream to help with sunburn pain and swelling. Do not use lotions that are fragranced.

Avoid repeated exposure to the sun; give the child plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration and keep them in a cool, dark room.

Apply cold compresses like a soft wet cloth or place the sunburned area in cool water.

Do not use salve, butter, or perfumed lotions.

Do not apply alcohol which can overcool the skin.

Do not break blisters.

Sources:

U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/skincancer/pdf/facts.pdf

Skin Cancer
http://www.skincancer.org/Sunburn/
http://www.skincancer.org/treating-sunburn-in-children.html

Web MD
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/sunburn-home-treatment

CDC Treatment for Heat Related Illness http://wonder.cdc.gov/wonder/prevguid/p0000449/p0000449.asp#head004002000000000