By Barbara Holden
We all know a severe automobile accident, malnutrition, infectious disease, trauma and neglect can threaten the life of your child. But did you know that one single sunburn can put your child at risk for melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer?
“Skin cancers are typically considered to be caused by repeated sunlight exposure over time, but research clearly shows that just one severe sunburn as a child can create a melanoma in later life,” said senior vice president of the Skin Cancer Foundation and former American Academy of Dermatology president, Dr. Rex A. Amonette .
“No other skin cancer, only melanoma, can be attributed to one particular severe sunburn incident,” he adds. “That’s highly significant, and parents and care takers need to understand the risk.”
This is the trick melanoma plays on us. It only takes one sunburn – just one – to lay the foundation for a life-threatening cancer. As parents and grandparents, we must protect our children from the sun from day one and monitor their skin, keeping close watch on any freckles and moles the child may have.
Other risk factors include fair skin, light eyes, many freckles, a family history of melanoma or a weak immune system.
Those with dark skin have less of a risk but are more likely to get it under the nails or on their palms and soles.
If you need a few reminders of how to keep your little one safe in the sun, the Skin Cancer Foundation offers these tips:
Make sure that your baby’s stroller or carriage provides adequate shade, with a hood or other shade-providing structure.
Sunscreen should not be used on babies under 6 months old. Babies under 6 months should be exposed to the sun as little as possible.
Your baby should have fresh air and light – but ideally, not at the peak times of the day between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Schedule your baby’s stroll around the neighborhood in the early morning or late afternoon, when the sun’s rays are less powerful.
Your baby (and you) should wear a sun hat or bonnet with a wide brim whenever she is outside because melanoma can occur on the scalp, too.
Make sure your baby’s arms and legs are covered by tightly woven (but loose-fitting) clothing.
For toddlers, use a sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15. The higher the SPF, the more UVB protection the sunscreen has.
The melanoma resource Web site Melanoma.com says that children get 80 percent of their lifetime sun exposure before the age of 18 and that protecting the skin during the first 18 years of life can reduce the risk of some types of skin cancer by up to 78 percent.
Your baby’s skin is the largest organ in her body, and it’s up to you to take good care of it. Sure, you’ll have to chase her up, down and around the house to slather that sunscreen on; then you’ll have to do it all over again a few hours later. But she’ll thank you later when she’s a healthy, happy and wrinkle-free adult.
Speaking of adults – be sure mom, dad and grandma are setting a good example. It’s important for you to wear sunscreen and hats when you go out and play, too.
The great news about all of this is that there are so many things you can do to protect your family from sunburns now and from skin cancer later. And if your little one learns these sun-safe habits as a toddler, chances are pretty good she’ll practice them as an adult and even pass them down to your grandchildren.
Learn more about sun safety and melanoma at skincancer.org,
Barbara Holden is a director at the Urban Child Institute, a Greater Memphis organization dedicated to promoting early childhood development. The Commercial Appeal is a partner with the Urban Child Institute in this effort to help parents and other caregivers learn skills that nurture and educate the minds of infants and children. For more information, go to theurbanchildinstitute.org or dial 211 for the Public Library and Information Center.
Originally published by Barbara Holden Special to My Life .
(c) 2008 Commercial Appeal, The. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
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