Keep your children safe and healthy in the sun

Now the summer is really beginning to kick in, it is important to keep youngsters safe and sensible when spending time out in the sun.

Protect children’s skin whilst they play outdoors

The hottest part of the day is usually between 11am and 3pm, but the searing summer sun can reach well into the evenings.

If possible, try to get children to play in the shade during these times and if not, make sure their sensitive skin is protected.

Suncare Senior Advisor for Boots, Mike Brown, warns parents that young skin is particularly at risk of sun damage because it does not protect itself in the same way that older skin can. This is important to remember considering children spend so much time playing outside during the hottest months.

Mike says: “Much of our sun exposure happens before the age of 21 and just one instance of sunburn can double the risk of skin cancer in later life, so it’s essential to protect our children and teach them how to practice sun safety throughout their lives.”

Keeping hats on resistant toddlers and young children can be a nightmare but it is essential. Light coloured hats can help keep heat off of heads and wide brims protect young eyes.

Take them shopping allowing them to choose their own hat which may yield better results then trying to force them to wear one you have picked out.

Keep skin covered up with loose fitting clothing or swimsuits with long legs and arms and in-built UPF 50+ protection factor.

When choosing a sun protection for the skin, use at least SPF30 and remember to re-apply plenty regularly.

Ditch out of date products and always re-apply after children have come out of the water.

Don’t forget to protect children’s eyes

Whilst most parents do remember to protect their child’s skin, it seems the damaging effect the sun has on their eyes is forgotten about.

Whilst some statistics find 76 per cent of parents do apply sun cream, the same percentage have been found to fail supplying their children with any eye protection.

With up to 80 per cent of a person’s lifetime exposure to UV occurring before the age of 18, Director at Central Vision, Bhavin Shah warns: “The UV radiation from the sun can cause sunburn on the front of the eye, growths on the eye, macula degeneration and approximately 20% of cataracts are caused by UV exposure but are not evident until later in life.”

Do not buy toy sunglasses for your child. Not only can they be made from cheap plastic that can shatter, the likelihood is there will be no UV protection. This is worse for their eyes than no protection as the dark lenses will cause the pupil in the eye to dilate, allowing more UV radiation in then wearing nothing at all.

Choose glasses with lenses that have 100 per cent UV A and B blocking. You will know you have suitable glasses because they must have a CE marking to comply with  BS EN 1836:2005 and also a UV400 or Category 3 rating.

Keep protected but don’t forget vitamin D

Though protecting your child against skin cancers and the damaging effects of the sun is important, children do need to get their vitamin D.

Vitamin D is made in the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight. There are concerns that too little exposure and too much protection is leading people to insufficient levels and deficiency.

Important for good bone health, vitamin D helps the body effectively absorb calcium and has been found to protect against cancer of the prostate and colon. A vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets and is linked with diabetes, lung disease,  multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis and Alzheimer’s.
 
Studying vitamin D deficiency, Professor of Endocrinology at Newcastle University, Simon Pearce says: “Kids tend to stay indoors more these days and play on their computers instead of enjoying the fresh air. This means their Vitamin D levels are worse than in previous years.”

As well as children under five years of age, pregnant and breastfeeding women are also are risk of vitamin D deficiency. 
 
As our levels of vitamin D decrease over winter months, topping up during the summer is important, but if you find your child’s skin begin to go red, they are in danger of burning and it’s time to get out the protection.