Young skin is very delicate and easily damaged by the sun therefore all children should be protected from the sun. We experience over half our total lifetime exposure to sun before we are 18 and studies have shown that blistering sunburn in childhood can double the risk of developing melanoma in later life. Parents and carers must take responsibility for protecting children’s skin and eyes, as they cannot be expected to undertake sun protection themselves. Children (like adults) with fair or red hair, pale eyes or freckles are most at risk. Keep babies under six months out of direct sunlight, especially around midday. REMEMBER YOU CAN BURN IN THE UK! So take care at home as well as abroad.

Use shade. Keep babies in complete shade- under umbrellas, trees, canopies or indoors.
Cover children up. Dress them in cotton clothing that is loose fitting with a close-weave like an over-sized long-sleeved T-shirt or a sunsuit specifically designed for children
Protect head, shoulders and necks. Use bucket or surfie style hats with a brim of at least 6cm (for primary school children and older) or 5cm (for pre-school children). The wider the brim the more skin will be shaded. Don’t put children in vest tops or sundresses if they are spending a lot of time outdoors- Shoulders and necks get easily burned.
Buy good quality, wraparound sunglasses.
Apply a broad-band sunscreen correctly. Use factor 30+ sunscreen before children go outdoors and reapply often (at least every 2hours) to be sure of good coverage. Don’t forget their shoulders, ears, nose and cheeks and tops of feet. Always use waterproof sunscreen when children are swimming or playing outdoors with water. Reapply after towelling.
Don’t forget school times; remember playtimes and lunch-breaks. Give children a hat to wear at school, and, if they cant apply sunscreen at school cover their exposed skin with factor 30+ before they go.
Act as good role models and make adults set a good example when out in the sun.
Look for the 5 star rating when buying your sunscreen - 5 star products absorb more than 90% of UV light.

Lots of the brands of sunscreen have special baby or toddler products, which are much gentler on the skin. Some sunscreens are coloured and make applying them fun. Test the sunscreen on a small area of the child’s skin before using it to make sure there won’t be any reaction.

Water Resistant Products

For children under the age of three, it is not advisable to use water resistant products. This is because children of this age group do not have fully formed sweat glands and regulate their body temperature by heat loss through the skin. A water resistant product forms a film on the skin which prevents water rinsing off the product. This barrier, whilst keeping water out, also keeps water ( heat ) in. Thus babies can overheat if water resistant products are used

The Vitamin D Debate

We need a small amount of sunlight to help the body produce Vitamin D but the skin will reach its optimum level of Vitamin D long before it has a chance to burn. The experts agree that the risks can be reduced with adequate intake of Vitamin D through diet or supplements and that the actual amount of sunlight required to produce Vitamin D is minimal. They recommend between ten and fifteen minutes facial exposure no more than twice a week.

At present there is no evidence that using sunscreens decreases Vitamin D production below safe levels. Further studies on the benefits of Vitamin D will no doubt be available in the future and may lead to further advice in this area.

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