Babies and the Sun

Now that the summer has hit and the weather is nice it's time to figure out which sunscreen is best for your baby. Babies between 0-6 months cannot wear sunscreen therefore you must keep them in the shade with a nice long hat (goofy looking but effective) and possibly a sun blanket covering them.

Once they have reached 6 months you should use a sunscreen that has at least and spf of 20. It also must contain zinc oxide and titanium dioxide which start protecting right away and form a barrier on top of the skin to protect against sunburns. While getting a children's sunscreen would be good, it's not necessary an adult one with the right stuff will work just as well. Sunsafe Solarwear Dr. Hauschka Sunscreen

If baby gets too much sun make sure that you use a cold compress to help reduce the heat on their skin and soak them in a cool bath with oatmeal or cornstarch.

This all takes me back to a vacation we recently took to Arizona. We had lathered up our 7 month old baby, put a sunscreen t-shirt on him and strapped on his big brimmed hat to go to the pool. The temperature was a teaming 105 deg and we were dying. Making my way through the crowd I noticed a very small baby in the pool (6lbs maybe), no hat and wearing a tiny bikini. My heart almost stopped - there were 2. A set of twins both sitting out in full sun being cradled by mom and aunt like they were toys!! Terrible, sometimes you just don't know what to do.

Cover up your munchkins for the summer to keep their skin safe for life. A burn when they are small could make them more receptive to skin cancer when hey get older.