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Home › Articles › Toddler Health › Put a Stop to UVA and UVB

Put a Stop to UVA and UVB

Protective Sun Gear for Infants and Toddlers

By Renee Roberson

Pages:  1  2  3  

It's the time of year again that brings lazy days by the swimming pool and strolls along the beach. For young children, nothing can be more exciting than summertime water play. But for parents of infants and toddlers, it's also time to stock up on the sunscreen and protective gear to make sure the warm rays of sunshine don't dampen your child's fun with a painful sunburn.

Let's Start with Sunscreen
Dr. Craig Eichler, a dermatologist and skin cancer/sun damage expert at Medical Surgical Specialists in Naples, Fla., and medical advisor for Presun.com, says that although most sunscreens are probably safe to use on infants younger than 6 months, he suggests parents keep young infants out of the sun and covered with a sun shade, clothing and hat instead.

Sunscreens have an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) rating that tells the consumer how much ultraviolet radiation the sunscreen blocks. For example, if you can stay in the sun for 10 minutes without sunblock before you burn, a product with SPF 15 should allow you to stay in the sun for 150 minutes (10 x 15) before burning.

Dr. Eichler recommends products that have an SPF of 30 or higher for both children and adults. "The higher the better, but above SPF 30 may become thicker and less appealing to apply," he says.

If your child has sensitive skin, look for products with titanium dioxide, which physically block the sun's rays without using chemical sunscreens that can aggravate sensitive skin, Dr. Eichler says. He also cautions parents that although sunscreens are an important part of sun protection, they do not offer 100 percent protection from the sun even when used appropriately.

"A lot of parents don't apply sunscreen properly – it takes most sunscreens around 20 minutes to absorb their fullest potential, so if you wait until you get outside to apply sunscreen to your children, they could get burned in the meantime," Dr. Eichler says. "It only takes as little as 15 minutes for the sun's UVA and UVB rays to start damaging the skin, increasing the risk for sunburn, skin cancer and premature skin aging, particularly on days where the UV index is high."


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