Tips To Protect Your Family from the Sun’s Harmful Rays and Prevent Sunburns This Summer

As school is letting out for the summer, many parents begin planning activities to keep their child busy over the summer.  As a working mom, your child may go to daycare.  If your daycare is similar to the one my kids attended, they go on field trips throughout the summer to keep the school aged children busy.  If you don’t have a bottle of sunscreen in your house, you should make sure that you grab a bottle next time you are at the store.  As you and your family are spending more and more time outdoors this summer, it is very important that you apply sunscreen every few hours to protect you and your children from the sun’s harmful rays and to prevent getting sunburned.  Summertime is often filled with fun activities that often requires you and your children to spend several hours out in the sunshine, including, your baby.

Disclosure:  This post is for informational purposes only.  The opinions reflected in this post are my own and are based upon my own experiences.

How Can I Protect My Baby From The Sun’s Harmful Rays?

If you are planning on taking an infant that is younger than 6 months old out in the sun for long periods of time, you will need to protect their delicate skin.  A baby that is 6 months old or younger, isn’t able to wear sunscreen and has to be protected differently from the rest of the family.  Your baby’s skin is thinner and they can easily absorb the active ingredient in sunscreen, which in large doses can be harmful to your child.  They also have a higher skin to weight ratio than older children so they are exposed to more chemicals that is found in sunscreen.  If you take your child with you on your outings, it is import to dress them in a light weight long sleeve shirt and pants.  Put a wide brim hat on their head to protect their face, neck, and shoulders from the sun’s harmful rays.  Keep your baby in the shade as much as possible, you can use an umbrella or the stroller’s canopy.  Be sure that you monitor your baby for overheating and dehydration.

Tips To Protect You and Your Children from the Sun’s Harmful Rays and Prevent Sunburns

It is important that you carefully plan your outings to avoid excessive sun exposure.  Too much exposure to the sun can cause heat related illnesses and it increases your risk for skin cancer.  It is very important to take the time and protect you and your children from the sun’s harmful rays and prevent sunburns.  Use these tips to help limit your exposure to the sun:

• Avoid the being in the sun between the hours of 10 am and 2 pm, when the sun’s rays are the most harmful.
• Wear sunscreen that is rated SPF 30 or above.
• Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before heading out into the sun and reapply every 2 hours unless your a sweating or swimming then reapply sunscreen more often.
• Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays.
• Do wear light colored clothing.
• Do wear long sleeves and pants if you plan on being in the sun for long periods of time.
• Do wear a wide-brimmed hat.  Baseball caps don’t protect the back of the neck and should be avoided.
• Drink plenty of cool or cold fluids, preferably, water.
• Watch for signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion, especially, important if your baby joins you on your outings.  Some of the symptoms include: fussiness, excessive crying, redness, confusion, dark urine output, excessive sweating, weakness, muscle cramps, dizziness, and possibility of fainting.
• Watch for signs and symptoms of heat stroke.  Some symptoms include: high body temperature, no longer sweating, hot and dry skin, shallow breathing, nausea, vomiting, unconsciousness, rapid heart beat, and possible seizures.

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Do you enjoy spending time outdoors during the summer months?  If so, do you apply sunscreen to your children on a regular basis?