Safety tips to protect your kids from the summer sun
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), sun exposure should be avoided, when possible, for babies under 6 months old. Children must stay as much as possible in the shade and wear lightweight long pants, long-sleeved shirts and hats with brims. Also, the baby’s body parts which remain uncovered, such as the face and back of the hands, must be protected with sunscreen (at least SPF15). If a baby develops a sunburn, cool compresses can be helpful.
Avoiding exposure is the best way to prevent sun damage also for older children. Therefore, it is recommended to limit exposure to sunlight between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the likelihood of sunburn is very high.
Children should also wear sunglasses that provide 97 percent to 100 percent protection from both UVA and UVB rays and hats with 3-inch brims or bills facing forward, while clothing with tight weaves can provide protection against sunburn. Clothing should also be light-colored and have just one layer of absorbent material to help sweat evaporate. Sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher, just as for babies, which can help prevent burns in children, must be applied every two hours and after they swim or sweat, as the water and sand can reflect UV rays and boost the risk of sun damage.
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Teens and young adults should use about one ounce per application and use sunscreen on both sunny and cloudy days, magicvalley.com reports.
Hydration is very important during the hot days. If they’re going to be active for more than an hour, you have to make sure that children drink water or a sports drink every 20 minutes, but also to replace their shirts when they are saturated with sweat.
AAP also recommends not to leave your child in the car, because infants and small children can’t regulate their body temperature in the same way that adults do. Sunstroke leads every year to the death of many children which are being left in hot carz, the majority of these deaths occurring in children 3 and under. Therefore, always make sure children are not in danger of overheating inside the vehicle.
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