Boys Town, NE (PRWEB) July 18, 2013 -- Boys Town releases strategies to help prevent damage in small children. Infants are especially at risk for skin damage. Infants lack protection from the sun because their skin has not fully developed. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, an infant’s skin gains thickness, hydration capacity and acidification throughout infancy as it increases its capacity to adapt to their environment.
The national child and healthcare organization, started over 90 years ago, is a leader in parenting advice and offers these tips to help protect children:
1. Limiting exposure to direct sunlight is the best way to protect infants. When possible, keep your infant out of direct sunlight when the sun’s rays are the strongest (between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.)
2. When outside, try to keep your infant in the shade by placing them under a tree or by using an umbrella or stroller canopy.
3. Use hats with brims that shade your infant’s face and ears. Dress your baby in lightweight clothing that covers the arms and the legs.
4. Sunscreen should be used cautiously on infants under 6 months of age. Place a very small amount on the back of the hands and on the cheeks. If possible, avoid using sunscreen at this age.
“All children need to protect their skin when playing in the sun,” said Kelli J. Shidler, M.D., pediatrician at Boys Town Pediatrics. “Doing so at an early age will help decrease their risk of sun burn now and lower their risk of skin cancer as they get older.”
Every time your child gets a blistering sunburn, he is at risk of developing malignant melanoma, which is the most serious type of skin cancer. If you have any concerns about your child’s sunburn, contact your pediatrician.
For information and parenting advice go to Parenting.org. The Boys Town National Hotline also offers free advice to parents 24/7. Call 1-800-448-3000.
About Boys Town
Nationally, Boys Town has been a beacon of hope for America’s children and families through its life-changing youth care and health care programs for more than 90 years. In 2012, Boys Town’s Integrated Continuum of youth care and health care programs impacted more than 500,000 children and families across America. This includes those who received services from Boys Town’s residential programs as well as those served by the many varied programs that comprise the Boys Town Integrated Continuum of Child and Family Services, including In-Home Family Services, health care services provided by Boys Town National Research Hospital and the Boys Town National Hotline.
Kara Neuverth, Boys Town, http://www.boystown.org, 402-498-1305, [email protected]
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