We buy clothing for our children to keep them warm in the winter months, in the summer months we try and keep them cool from the suns heat. When it’s hot outside and the sun is shining our children are at risk from the sun in another way and that’s sunburn. This is especially true because their summer clothes are shorter and reveal more skin.
Babies are much more susceptible to sunburn because of their sensitive skin, and because of their delicate age it can be much worse if they do get burnt. Exposure to sunlight is healthy for a number of reasons, one of which is the production of Vitamin D. Although too much is also bad as UV radiation from the sun can cause skin cancer later on in life. Of course just like adults this is also dependant on skin colour, very pale skin is more susceptible to becoming sunburnt.
There are a number of ways that can help beat this problem facing our children. Granted us here in the UK are only greeted by the suns warmth a few months a year, so for those few months and when you take your child on holiday its vital to have the right tools to protect them. One of the easiest ways of doing that is by staying out of the sun when the sun is at it’s highest. This is when your child will be most vulnerable.
The quality of protection the clothes your child wears is dependent on both the fabric and the colour. Dark colours and clothing that is tightly woven together are best for your child to wear during the heat of the day.
Big sun hats are adorable and also functional to keep the sun’s rays away from the baby’s delicate skin. Sunglasses are also a nice accessory for kids and babies and will help protect your children’s eyes from exposure.
You can now find clothing that has been specially designed to protect your child’s skin from some of the harmful effects of the sun, though with all new products; selection is limited and price is high. An alternative method of adding this protection to your baby’s clothes is using a product called Sun Guard. Place this in the wash with the clothes you have to protect and it will increase the SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of your baby’s clothes.
Hopefully you can research up on these clothes and products now so that you can be ready when summer comes around, I know were in December but hopefully thinking of the summer from now can warm us up a little.
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