Here Comes the Sun
Babies and children have sensitive skin that can be damaged easily by sun exposure.
Did you know that you and your baby or child can sunburn in as little as 15 minutes? Babies burn more easily because they are not born with a developed skin protection system. Full protection includes a rimmed, breathable sun hat, sunglasses, and UV protective clothing and/or sunscreen.
Baby Sun Safety
- Keep babies under one year of age out of direct sunlight (in the shade).
- Broad spectrum sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) will protect their skin but not protect from the heat. Reapply every 2 hours or after playing in water.
- Give lots of cool liquids, water or breast milk are best. It’s important to drink lots of liquids throughout the day to stay hydrated.
- Do not put sunscreen on a baby under 6-months of age without first consulting with your health care provider.
Child Sun Safety
- The sun’s rays are strongest between 11am and 3pm and is usually the hottest time of day. Unless children are protected, keep them out of the sun during these hours.
- Get your children used to wearing sunscreen lotion, sunglasses, and hats early on. When applying sunscreen, be sure to use at least SPF 30 and pay attention to areas most exposed like their face, lips, ears, neck, shoulders, back, knees, and the tops of their feet.
- Broad spectrum sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) should be applied every 2 hours or after swimming, playing, or exercising.
- Never leave children in a parked vehicle.
Resources:
Check out this video on best practices when heading outside for a day in the sun:
Learn how to use the UV index to determine your level of sun protection:
The ultraviolet index and your local forecast
Be sure to check the UV index before planning your outdoor activities:
- distress when a child was in pain and when a family was grieving; and
- sadness in the event they were not able to save a child in their care.
- concern for the injured child and the child’s family;
Particularly traumatic events, such as those involving vivid sights and sounds (e.g., families holding each other and having extreme reactions), stuck with the practitioners, having long-lasting impressions on them and causing them to re-live these events in the years following their exposure.
Even after their shift was over, practitioners said that they changed how they approached parenting and how they perceived safety during play as a result of witnessing these traumatic events. They reported having more knowledge of the causes and consequences of severe injuries, such as those that require hospitalization or emergency care. For example, practitioners were more likely to enforce boundaries around where their children could play, such as by forbidding their child to play near busy streets. They also were more likely to tell their child about safe play environments and equipment, and put this equipment on their child before play, such as explaining the benefits of using helmets while riding bikes.
Practitioners were more likely to enforce boundaries around where their children could play, and use safety equipment, such as bike helmets.
Practitioners also described being concerned about their children’s play near open windows, around large bodies of water unsupervised, and in environments where firearms were present. They also expressed worry about their children’s play on trampolines and on motorized vehicles, such as ATVs. Findings related to trampoline play safety concerns were published in the journal Injury Prevention.
Observing family grief due to child injury or death affected the mental well-being of health care practitioners, drawing attention to the need for mental health supports for those involved in caring for severely injured and dying patients.
"Raise more resilient children through play...watch and see how your child handles challenging tasks without intervening right away." —Dr. Michelle Bauer
Building resilience through play
How can parents help their children build resilience? By letting them play!
The experiences that practitioners witnessed encouraged them to support their children in building resilience through play; specifically, by supporting children in learning to cope with failure, overcome fear, build self-confidence, develop distress tolerance, and regulate negative emotions. Findings related to building resilience through play were published in the journal Child: Care, Health, and Development.
Parents fostered resilience in their kids by:
- helping their kids get back on bikes after they fell off and wanted to try again;
- sitting on their hands so they did not instinctively reach for their children when their children fell down; and
- encouraging participation in challenging and thrilling activities in forests and water while safety equipment was used.
"There are a few ways that parents can raise more resilient children through play that are supported by literature and our study findings," said Dr. Bauer. "One: watch and see how your child handles challenging tasks without intervening right away."
"Two: Ask your child how they want you to help—let them tell you what makes them feel safe and happy during play. Let them lead. And three: make play both safe and exciting by encouraging risk-taking, teaching them how to avoid hazards, and using safety equipment.”
This research was supported through Drs. Bauer’s and Gilley’s receipt of a clinical and translational research seed grant from the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR), Dr. Bauer’s BCCHR postdoctoral fellowship award, and additional training provided to Dr. Bauer through her participation in the Programs and Institutions Looking to Launch Academic Researchers (PILLAR) program through ENRICH, a national organization training perinatal and child health researchers.
Learn more about the study through two infographic posters:
Graphics and posters by Milica Radosavljevic
