G.playing and running around outdoors is one of the pleasures of childhood but excessive exposure to sunlight can cause considerable damage to the children’s skin. Protecting them from an early age is therefore essential not only to protect them from rashes and burns but also for avoid the risk of developing skin cancers as adults.
The risks of the sun in children
In recent years, research has shown that most of the damage produced by UV rays to skin cells is due to sun exposure in childhood. In fact, it is estimated that having one or more sunburns as a child doubles the chances of developing melanoma in the course of life.
The effects of UV rays on children’s skin
Children have much thinner skin than adults, so ultraviolet radiation is able to penetrate more easily and cause DNA damage to cells. Furthermore, in the smallest the tissues of the body are growing strongly and it is therefore more likely that a single damaged cell will proliferate and give rise to a tumor.
Can children be taken to the sun from an early age?
Younger children, up to one year of age, they must not be exposed to direct sunlight, because their skin is extremely sensitive and delicate. The little ones then go always kept in the shade and protected, both at the seaside and in the city, with an umbrella and hat.
How to choose the right sunscreen?
The guidelines of the Ministry of Health recommend always using very high and broad-spectrum protections for children, that is 50 or 50+ and active for both UVB and UVA.
The sunscreen should be applied in adequate quantities e spread all over the body at least 15 minutes before to expose children to the sun. The cream should always be used, even when there are clouds or in the shade, and the application goes renewed at least every two hoursor more often if you carry out activities such as bathing in water that facilitate its dispersion.
Not just cream, the other precautions
Applying sunscreen is just one of the many things that need to be done when exposing children to the sun. Here are the main recommendations to follow to expose the little ones safely
- Avoid the central hours (10-16) of the day
- Limit sun exposure, especially in the first few days
- Wear a hat, possibly with a wide brim, and sunglasses with UVA and UVB filters
- Use clothes with fabrics that filter UV rays
To know more
If you want to know more about lung cancer, download the manual “Skin cancers. Questions and answers on prevention, diagnosis and treatment “ made by Umberto Veronesi Foundation
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