Some parents report not properly protecting infants from sun

Less than half of parents surveyed reported using a hat or long sleeves and pants as sun protection for their infants, while 3% reported babies receiving a sunburn, according to research being presented at the American Academy of Dermatology’s 2015 Summer Academy Meeting in New York.

“Some parents think they’re helping their children by exposing them to the sun, but actually, the opposite is true,” Keyvan Nouri, MD, FAAD, chief of dermatology services, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center/University of Miami Hospital and Clinics, said in a press release. “Unprotected sun exposure can damage the skin and lead to skin cancer.”

Keyvan Nouri

Nouri and colleagues surveyed 95 parents in early 2015 about their sun protection practices. They found only 14.6% of respondents could identify the AAD’s recommendations for sun safety in infants, which include keeping infants younger than 6 months out of the sun as much as possible, keeping children in the shade, and dressing them in long-sleeved shirts, pants, wide-brimmed hats and sun glasses, according to a press release.

Most respondents (83%) reported routinely seeking shade for infants, while 43% reported routinely using a hat as sun protection for the infant and 40% reported dressing children in pants and long sleeves. Although the AAD also recommends avoidance of sunscreen in children younger than 6 months, 29% of the parents reported routinely using sunscreen on infants, according to the release.

One-third of the surveyed parents reported gradually increasing their infants’ sun exposure to allow the infant “to develop tolerance of the sun’s rays.” Children receiving a sunburn in the first 6 months of life were reported by 3% of respondents, while infants having tanned were reported by 12% of respondents.

The majority of respondents were Hispanic or black, according to the release. While people of color may think they don’t need skin protection, “anyone can get skin cancer, so everyone should take steps to protect themselves and their children from the sun’s harmful rays,” Nouri said in the release. “Parents of all skin colors should set a good example by practicing sun protection and instill good habits in their children from an early age.”

Reference: www.aad.org