Beach vacations, swimming pools, sibling ball games, community festivals, family picnics! Summer is a great time to be outdoors. But, too much sun and heat are not good for infants. Precautions for pee wee are necessary.

Sunscreen care

Babies are at special risk for sunburn. The American Academy of Pediatrics says a baby’s skin is more delicate and thinner than an adult’s so it burns and irritates more easily. Even dark-skinned babies are at risk of being sunburned. Babies cannot tell you if they are too hot or beginning to burn and cannot get out of the sun without an adult’s help. Keep babies younger than six months out of direct sunlight by finding shade under a tree, umbrella, or the stroller canopy or dressing them in UV protective clothing.

If protective clothing and shade are not available, for babies younger than six months, use sunscreen on small areas of the body, such as the face. Hari Cheryl Sachs, M.D., a pediatrician at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says “Babies’ skin is less mature compared to adults, and infants have a higher surface-area to body-weight ratio compared to older children and adults. Both these factors mean that an infant’s exposure to the chemicals in sunscreens may be much greater, increasing the risk of side effects from the sunscreen. Sachs suggests applying a small amount of sunscreen—with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15—to small areas such as the cheeks and back of the hands: “Test your baby›s sensitivity to sunscreen by first trying a small amount on the inner wrist.”

For babies older than six months, apply to all areas of the body, but be careful around the eyes. If your baby rubs sunscreen into her eyes, wipe the eyes and hands clean with a damp cloth. If the sunscreen irritates her skin, try a different brand of sunscreen with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. Ask your pharmacist to help you select the right sunscreen. If a rash develops, talk with your child’s doctor.

Use enough sunscreen to cover all exposed areas, especially the face, nose, ears, top of head, feet, and hands and even the backs of the knees. Rub it in well. Apply sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before going outdoors to give time for the sunscreen to bind and absorb into to the skin. Remember that kids can get sunburn even on cloudy days. Reapply sunscreen every two hours. Sunscreen wears off after swimming, sweating, or just from soaking into the skin.

The FDA set new regulations two years ago to help consumers select and use sunscreens appropriately. Among their requirements relating to children are:

  • water resistance claims on the product’s front label, which must tell how much time a user can expect to get the declared SPF level of protection while swimming or sweating, based on standard testing. Only two times are permitted on labels: 40 minutes or 80 minutes.
  • sunscreen manufacturers cannot make claims that sunscreens are “waterproof” or “sweatproof” or identify their products as “sunblocks.” They can’t claim “instant protection” or protection for more than two hours without reapplication.

Cover up

Other tips for sun safety this summer include dressing yourself and your kids in cool, comfortable clothing that covers the body, like lightweight cotton pants, long-sleeved shirts, and hats. Select clothes made with a tight weave to provide better protection. Put a hat or cap with a brim on baby that faces forward to shield his face. Keep in mind that while baseball caps are cute, they don’t shade the neck and ears, which are sensitive areas for a baby. Limit sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when UV rays are strongest. Look for child-sized sunglasses with at least 99 percent UV protection for your child.

Hydration

In addition to protecting babies’ skin, the outside temperature should also be considered. FDA’s Sachs points out that summer’s heat presents other challenges for babies. “Younger infants also don’t sweat like we do”, Sachs says. “Sweat naturally cools the rest of us down when we’re hot, but babies haven’t yet fully developed that built-in heating-and-cooling system. So you want to make sure your baby doesn’t get overheated. In the heat, babies are also at greater risk of becoming dehydrated. To make sure they’re adequately hydrated, offer them their usual feeding of breast milk or formula. The water content in both will help keep them well hydrated. Providing water in between these feedings is also okay.”

Resources for Keeping Em’ Cool
American Academy of Pediatrics | U.S. Food and Drug Administration