By now most people have realized the dangers of the sun's harmful rays on both adults and children.
There has been great improvement for skin protection in the way of sunblock with adequate SPF of 30. In addition, there are now products designed especially for kids in the way of lotions in fun colors. Children enjoy them because they get coated in a wacky hue, and parents like them because you can actually see the parts of skin that have been missed.
However, all these products were made for children over the age of six months. Until recently the American Academy of Pediatrics advised against the use of sunblock in babies under six months of age. Now they recommend:
"For babies under six months of age, sunscreen may be used on small areas of the body such as the face and the back of the hands if adequate clothing and shade are not available. For older children, test the sunscreen on the baby's back for a reaction before applying it all over. Apply carefully around the eyes, avoiding the eyelids. If your baby rubs sunscreen into her eyes, wipe the eyes and hands clean with a damp cloth. If the sunscreen burns her eyes, try a different brand or try a sunscreen stick or sunblock with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. If a rash develops, talk to your pediatrician."
There are two very important reasons for not overusing sunscreen in young babies:
1. Infants and children have what is called a high body surface to volume ratio. What this means is that proportionately babies have more skin for the size body as compared to an adult. Sunscreens are made of chemicals. On the older child and adult, the chemical exposure is relatively minimal because the body surface ratio is smaller than a baby. Therefore, babies get a higher "dose" of sunscreen than do those older. While this exposure would most likely not cause any problems, the likelihood of an adverse reaction is greater.
2. Babies have a mildly impaired mechanism to keep cool by sweating. In addition, they have a greater risk of becoming dehydrated due to heat. Sunscreen can somewhat impair effective cooling by perspiration, so placing it on an infant could be detrimental.
So, in the summertime when there is so much fun to be had outdoors, what's a new parent to do with the baby?
Remember that little ones need extra care in the heat to make sure they do not become dehydrated. How is this done? There are a number of creative ways that you may come up with, but here are a few suggestions:
Keep babies under six months of age out of the direct sun.
Feed your baby frequently, with breastmilk or formula. The water content in either of these will help keep your baby well hydrated. While a little extra water is okay, one must be careful not to overdue it because babies may actually drink too much of it and suffer from what is called water intoxication which can cause seizures.
Use a wide brimmed hat. Most babies will tolerate this with perhaps a little extra distraction at first to help them get used to it.
Use light but long clothing. Covering the skin with clothing (while it doesn't fully protect the skin underneath) is a good way avoid sunlight exposure.
Use a canopy as much as possible. When in the stroller, put the canopy up. One couple used to take their portable crib which had mesh sides and turn it upside down on the baby while she napped. This kept the sun as well as the bugs away!