Ways to Protect Babies and Children from the Sun

From Memorial Ankara Hospital Department of Dermatology, Uz. Dr. İbrahim Özcan made suggestions to parents for the skin health of children in the summer months.

Özcan said in his statement:

“The most important way to protect yourself from the sun is to avoid the sun. Shades, cloudy or overcast weather do not provide complete protection from the sun. For this reason, one should not go out to the sun between 10:00 and 16:00, when the sun's rays are more perpendicular to the earth, especially in summer. Wide-brimmed hats and glasses should definitely be used, tightly woven, dark colored clothes should be preferred. In summer, if it is necessary to be outdoors, shades should be preferred; Even in the shade and cloudy weather, sunscreen creams should be used. Because ultraviolet rays can reach up to 60 meters underwater, it is possible to get burned while swimming.

Sunscreen protects the skin from the harmful effects of the sun. Suitable sunscreens should be used for babies and children older than 6 months. Small babies who have not completed 6 months should not be taken out of the sun during the hours when the sun's rays are intense, they should be kept in the shade or they should be dressed in long sleeved and thin cotton clothes.

Sunscreen should be applied to the entire exposed skin 20 minutes before going outside and reapplied every two hours. After swimming in the pool or the sea, after drying with a towel and after sweating, sunscreen should be applied again. Since the cheeks, nose and shoulders burn most in the sun, care should be taken to protect these areas.

A sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher (SPF 50 if possible), providing broad spectrum protection and protecting from UVA and UVB rays should be preferred. Hypoallergenic, paraben and alcohol-free products that are adapted to the skin of babies and children and that are dermatologically tested should be preferred. It should contain mineral and/or organo-mineral filters. It should be water and sand resistant, as children love to play in the sand and water.

Baby skin is thinner and more sensitive than adults. For this reason, care should be taken to use pediatric sunscreens specially produced for babies and children. Sunscreens should not contain additives, be odorless and perfume-free. Chemicals such as paraben, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide in adult creams do not protect from sun rays, on the contrary, they reflect the rays to the skin. For this reason, creams containing such preservatives should never be used on children, and mineral-containing brands that provide physical protection should be used.