Do children need sun protection ?
Children’s especially upto age 3 years, have a thin upper layer of the skin and a lower concentration of protective melanin. This allows ultraviolet radiation (UVR) to penetrate deeper, resulting in photo damage and so an infant’s skin develops sunburn more easily than that of adults. In addition, the skin also contains stem cells, which are susceptible to UVR-induced mutagenesis. UVR exposure during childhood is a critical period for the increase in skin cancer risk later in life.
What to do for a sun protection in children ?
Best protection is to avoid taking the baby in the sun; especially when the Ultravoilet Radiation is at peak i.e. 10 am to 4 pm.
Other possible measures can be :
- Cover with appropriate protective clothing; that should be cool, comfortable tightly woven (not see through) that covers the body .
- Use a wide brimmed hat.
- Use child- sized sunglasses with UV protection.
- Use of stroller with the big shade and also the parasol for better protection.
- Use Topical “Sun-Screen” Creams
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