Sun protection advice for your babies

Sun Protection for Babies
Babies are born with fine, delicate skin that gets thicker as they grow. This can make their skin more sensitive to sun damage and allergens, for example, in harsh soaps and detegents. An allergen is any substance that causes an allergic reaction, such as redness or a rash.
The British Skin Foundation advises taking the following steps to help protect your baby's skin:
Limit the amount of products you use on your baby's skin. You don't need to use a moisturiser unless your baby has very dry skin, in which case use an emollient cream during the day and at bedtime. Choose softer cotton clothes rather than wool, which can irritate.
Avoid products that strip the skin of its natural oils and cause dryness. These include soap, shower gels, detergents and anything that bubbles or lathers. Avoid products that contain alcohol or added fragrances.
Never let your baby's skin burn in the sun. There is a strong link between childhood sun damage and skin cancer in later life. Babies should not be in the sun at all, and toddlers should be covered up with loose-fitting clothing, a hat and sunscreen of factor 30 or more.
In wet nappies, bacteria break down the urine into ammonia, which irritates a baby's skin. Avoid nappy rash (sore, red skin) by changing the nappy as soon as it's wet, and cleanse with cotton wool and water. Use a simple nappy cream as a barrier.
FACT: Unprotected exposure to the sun in the first 15 years of life more than doubles the chances of getting skin cancer as an adult.FACT: Nearly 80% of lifetime sun exposure occurs before age 18.FACT: 90% of all skin cancers can be attributed to UV ray damage to skin cells.FACT: Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the USA today.FACT: UV rays cannot be felt and are present whether or not it is hot outside.FACT: It takes less than 11 minutes for the sun to irreparably damage your skin.FACT: The ear, nose, lip and eye areas are very susceptible to skin cancer.FACT: A sun tan is a sign that the skin is already damaged. A sun tan does not protect the skin from further sun damage.FACT: Sun tans and sun burns increase your risk of skin cancer.FACT: UV is transmitted every day, even in winter. It takes longer to burn during the winter months, but sun damage occurs even on cloudy days.FACT: Beware of UV rays reflected off of sand, water, snow, concrete or any light surface.FACT: Babies do not require direct exposure to the sun; they receive enough vitamin "D" to help aid the growth of bones and calcium from indirect sunlight.FACT: Babies are very sensitive to the sun's UV rays.*Information compiled from The Skin Cancer Foundation and The Cancer Council Australia: Fact Sheet: Sun Protection and Babies: updated March 2004, http://www.sunsmart.com.au/.SUN SAFETY TIPSIf you and your family enjoy the outdoors, the best protection from the sun's rays is to use all of the following: hats, sunglasses, sun block, sunshades, 50+ UPF rated clothing and 50+ UPF rated swimsuits like those brightly colored swimsuits offered by Banz.Babies should be completely shaded from the sun at all times during the first six months of life or until your pediatrician indicates it is safe for them to wear sun block. Using sunshades such as the Protect-a-Bub sunshade or the Protect-a-Bub Deluxe 3-in-1 allows baby to enjoy the great outdoors while being shielded from UV rays.Keep baby protected during peak UV times when the sun is at its highest and strongest: between 10am- 4pm.Start teaching your children sun safe habits from an early age. Always require them to wear hats, sunglasses and a 50+ UPF rated shirt when swimming. Apply sun block each morning. Sun blocks take up to 20 minutes to become active on the skin.The most important tip for parents is to LEAD BY EXAMPLE!Review all sun safe shade and apparel product information carefully. Beware of products that offer more than one shade factor - i.e., part of the product is 70% another part is 90% or the shade provides "up to" 90% protection. Some shades only provide protection in certain positions. Sun protection does not start until a shade factor of 94% is reached - which equates to UPF15. Any shades providing less than 94% may not block enough UV rays to protect your family.Sun block is an effective way to protect the skin from UV rays. Always use with care and as directed. Sun block needs to be re-applied at 2 hour intervals to continue protection. Use sun block along with other sun safety measures like hats, sun glasses, T-shirts, umbrellas, sunshades and natural occurring shade.There are two main types of sun block - those that are absorbed into the skin and those that sit on top of the skin. Absorbed sun block penetrates the skin, removing or lessoning the UV from the sun's rays, protecting the skin. Some blockers sit on top of the skin acting as reflectors while others absorb the UV as it hits the skin, stopping the rays from penetrating into the skin. The goal of sun block is to prevent UV rays from penetrating deep into the skin where cancer cells mutates and can later cause skin cancer.Blockers containing titanium or zinc are generally better for babies and children because fewer chemicals are absorbed by the body.