Sun Exposure

This morning Tracy Wirtz and I talked about sun exposure and preventing sun burns.  Skin cancer is more common than people think, and is quite preventable.  Also, sun burn hurts and few things are more miserable than a child unable to sleep at night because of sun burn pain. Do you wear a seat belt?  Do you lock your doors at night?  If you care enough to do these safety measures, then you should put sunscreen on you and your kids.  Put it on ten minutes before the kids get into the water.  Re-apply it once or twice if you are out more than four hours, or if your kids are in the water more than 30 minutes. Babies need sunscreen too.  Adult sunscreens are ok.  However, babies (and particularly babies under 6 months-old) should be kept out of the sun, under an umbrella, hat, and long loose clothes.  Beware!- reflection off water or sand can cause sunburn- I've made this mistake myself when my oldest child was 6 weeks old! If your child gets sunburn, the best treatment is moisturizer lotion and ibuprofen or tylenol for pain.  If the sunburn develops blister, red streaks, or pus, see your doctor.