How To Protect Your Child From The Sun (VIDEO)

Spending time outdoors in the sun is an integral part of childhood. However, studies have shown that children and teens who have experienced more than five sunburns are at an increased risk of later developing melanoma. In this health video learn the importance of protecting your child from the sun and the best ways to do this.

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Comments

[Joan Liebmann-Smith, Ph.D. and Jacqueline Nardi Eg]

09:28 AM on 07/20/2010

Live-saving advice! As we report in our book, BABY BODY SIGNS, just 1 blistering sunburn in childhood doubles the risk of melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer, in adulthood. Also, babies are born with freckles. Freckles are a warning sign that a child has been exposoed to too much sun. And sun is not the only danger kids face in the hot summer, as we explain in our recent post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/searchS/?q=Liebmann-Smith

[vincealy]

02:52 PM on 07/19/2010

Vitamin d deficiency is rampant and has been linked with several diseases. The demonetization of even sensible sun exposure lead largely by the dermatologist may in fact be harmful. A NYT piece http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/10/health/10skin.html " Doctors Balk at Cancer Ad, Citing Lack of Evidence "

[StAlphonso]

10:29 PM on 07/18/2010

Three words: World Of Warcraft.

[Havana Thinks]

09:04 PM on 07/18/2010

The doctor should have worn gloves when treating patients! She should know better than 2 apply sunscreen 2 a patient's body w/out protecting her own hands and her patient's body from germs.

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

08:53 PM on 07/18/2010

I believe this stuff actually CAUSES skin cancer. I want this doctor, that's plugging these products, to read and identify all of the ingredients on a bottle of sunscreen.

This is pure garbage.... and no doubt, FDA approved....just like mercury.

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

08:41 PM on 07/18/2010

The skin is the largest organ in/on your body. It absorbs everything, unless you're willing to drink your SPF, don't put it on your children. The amount of chemicals far outweighs it's "protection" against the sun.

Try a white t shirt and a white hat for minimum heat and max sun protection.

[RCHaynes]

04:51 PM on 07/18/2010

Nice ad for the sunscreen industry. These poor kids will end up with vitamin D deficiency, especially the black child in the video. (African-American children are suffering from rickets in increasing numbers as a result of sunscreen and staying inside all day.) A vitamin D deficiency may well lead to worse diseases in the future. These kids are also being lathered from a very young age with chemicals about which we have little long-term information. I suggest that HP remove this commercial from their line-up -- it's just good old-fashioned fear-mongering.

[hulagirrrl]

05:05 PM on 07/18/2010

Totally agree, but in some areas we do need to lather our children. We live in a sunny environment, and I must use SPF 50 when heading to the beach. The kids are wearing long sleeved shirts and board shorts, so I just cover the legs. What always bothers me is that I have to mail order my products from Europe and pay a steep price on shipping, because the American sun screens on the market are dangerous for they contain ingredients that are no longer allowed in the EU. I do believe that the sun screen companies will only update their formulas to a better quality once consumer protection groups are demanding it, or consumers are informed and stop buying. Either way, parents need to be informed and not just buy anything on sale. Yes, it may be expensive, but it is your skin we are talking about.

[RCHaynes]

08:35 AM on 07/19/2010

Using sunscreen at the beach, or on our face when skiing for the day, for example, could make sense, but every day as a matter of course has to be counter-productive and harmful. One of the most controversial chemicals in American sunscreens is retinyl palmitate -- a supposed anti-wrinkle ingredient -- which apparently can cause melanoma rather than prevent it. Yes, we do need to be better informed but so often the information just isn't out there, and it takes a hyper-vigilant consumer to keep track of it all.