Dress your children in long sleeves and pants whenever possible. Tightly woven fabric that you can't see through easily offers the best sun protection. Oversized T-shirts are OK. Avoid skimpy clothes sundresses and sleeveless T-shirts that leave the most vulnerable areas like the shoulders exposed. The shoulders and back of the neck receive a good deal of sun exposure when children are playing and this is the commonest area for severe sunburn. A hat with a wide brim that shades the face and preferably the back and sides of the head should also be worn.
Cover exposed parts of your child's skin with moderately strong sunscreen of at least a SPF of 15. It should have UVA and UVB screens in it. Waterproof sunscreens should be used for sports and swimming. A waxy sun block stick can be used around the eyes to keep the sunscreen from burning when they sweat. Parts of the body that need extra protection are the nose, cheeks, shoulder tops and feet. Eyes can also be damaged by excessive sun exposure and should be protected. Sunglasses should have a UV (ultra violet) coating.
The labels of sunscreens recommend it not be used on children under 6 months. That is not because there is a known harm to young children, but rather the products have not been tested on infants. Besides, since they can't yet crawl, what would they be doing in the sun anyway?
(published with permission in writing from:http://www.aocd.org)
