What an interesting year it has been!!! With school being out for the pandemic for a while now, it seems that summer break has lasted forever! However, I did want to reach out and a talk a little bit about sun safety, even though we are halfway through the summer.
I wanted to first address use of sunscreen. Find a sunscreen that covers both UVB and UVA rays. Oftentimes, the label will say “broad-spectrum” and that indicates that it covers both rays. I also like using a sunscreen with SPF of 30, but you can use any with between 15 to 50 SPF. Try to avoid sunscreen that contains oxybenzone. I like using ones that contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as these work well on the sensitive and delicate skin of children. Apply enough sunscreen to cover all exposed areas of the skin and rub it in well at least 15 to 30 minutes before going outdoors to allow it time to absorb into skin. Use sunscreen even on cloudy days and reapply every 2 hours or anytime it may rub off, such as drying off with a towel after swimming. For babies younger than 6 months, it is best to try to avoid direct sun exposure by staying under a tree or umbrella or in a covered stroller, but if you can’t, apply sunscreen on small areas of the body that are exposed to sun, such as the face. For babies older than 6 months, you can apply the sunscreen everywhere but be careful around the eyes, since babies often rub their eyes and the sunscreen may get into their eyes and irritate it.
If your child does get a sunburn and is under 1 year of age, call your doctor right away. Also, if your child is older than 1 years old and gets a blistering sunburn or has severe pain or fevers, call your doctor. Make sure if your child has a sunburn that they stay very hydrated with water or 100% fruit juice. You can also help soothe the pain or warmth with cool baths or cool water applied to the areas of burn and treat with acetaminophen or ibuprofen (if older than 6 months old.) Try as much as possible to avoid re-exposure to the sun while the sunburn is healing.
When out in the sun and not necessarily swimming, try to wear clothes that are cool, with a tight weave and that covers the body. I also recommend wearing wide brimmed hats and sunglasses if possible.
The most important thing to remember is to continue to remind your child to drink fluids while they are out in the sun. It is easy for them to get playing and to forget to keep up on their hydration, and it is easy to overheat when you are dehydrated.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding sun exposure, sunburns or anything else, please call us or come in for an appointment. We’d love to hear from you or see you!
Dr. Yohanna
References: American Academy of Pediatrics, healthychildren.org