How To Keep Your Baby Safe In The Sun

Having kids is a really great and wondrous thing; it’s just so fun to be with them, and playing with them can be a real blast too. One of the best places to play is outdoors and in the sun because sometimes there’s just nothing like some fresh air and sunshine to get the heart pumping and mind thinking straight.

Whether you’re going to the playground, the beach, or the amusement park, there’s just nothing better than being out and about in the great sunny outdoors. What parents do have to keep in mind whenever they do something with their children is their safety, and the younger the children are the more crucial it is, especially for babies.

That being said, while it’s great to be enjoying some of the sun’s rays they can be quite harmful to your skin, and this counts double for a young and sensitive baby. Too much exposure to the sun and not enough protection from it can have some very serious consequences like sunburn, heat stroke, dehydration, and worst of all melanoma, otherwise known as skin cancer.

Too many UV rays can be really bad for your baby so follow these tips on how to protect your little bundle of joy from the sun’s harmful rays.

Sunscreen

One of the most obvious and easiest ways to protect your baby from the harmful sunlight is by coating their gentle skin with sunscreen. Remember though, it is a baby and they don’t have the same skin as adults so you’re going to want to use baby sunscreen.

One great product to choose from is Babyganics Mineral Based Baby Sunscreen Lotion. This is a really great sunscreen for babies because it has an SPF protection rating of 50. The SPF rating determines how much UV ray protection a certain sunscreen provides, the higher the SPF the more protecting is provided.

For babies anything under SPF 30 is not recommended. Moreover the sunscreen mentioned is completely organic so you know that you’re not slathering your baby in pesticides, chemicals, heavy metals, and other toxic compounds. When you use sunscreen be sure to remember that it will come off and lose effectiveness over time so for a baby you’re going to want to apply it every few hours.

Schedule your walk

Taking walks with the baby and going outside with them can be really fun and rewarding but when it comes to keeping your baby from getting burnt to a crisp by intense UV rays it is important to avoid certain times of day. It is recommended that when it is really hot and sunny outside that you only go outside before 10 am or after 4 pm.

This is especially important on a hot summer day. If it isn’t too hot outside then you should just avoid the 12 to 3 pm time slot as that is when the sun is at its strongest; That is when it is directly overhead and closest to you.

Clothing

Another important thing to consider when trying to protect your baby from the intense UV rays that can cause dehydration, heat stroke, and skin cancer is the clothing that you dress your baby in.

Clothing can make all the difference so the first thing to remember is that hats are key. A hat with a nice big brim will keep the baby’s head cool and out of the sun. This is very important as too much sun to the head can cause heat stroke quite rapidly in a baby. You want the hat to be light and thin so it’s not too much of a nuisance but it does need to be big enough to keep the eyes, ears, nose, and neck out of the sun.

Another thing to remember is that a baby’s skin is very sensitive and can easily be burned by the sun. Therefore shorts and t-shirts are not recommended, especially for children under 1.5 years of age. Always dress your baby in light weight clothing that covers their arms and legs from the sunlight, preferably something light and breathable like cotton.

And because the clothing will cover the whole baby make sure that it is in fact very light weight, thin, and breathable; you don’t want your baby overheating and dehydrating because they’re wearing something that would keep them warm in the winter!

Window covers

Many people may not think about it all that much but UV rays still penetrate through windows. This is important to keep in mind especially for young baby’s that are at an increased risk to be hurt by the sun’s harmful rays.

That’s why a good idea is to buy window mesh or a UV cover for the windows in your home for the rooms where baby spends much of its time. This is equally important for trips in the car; some UV window guards for the minivan might not be a bad idea either.

Sunglasses

In today’s world sunglasses may seem like more of a fashion statement that anything else at all, but in all reality they really do serve a useful purpose. They keep the UV rays off of the eyes and essentially keep people from going blind.

UV rays can cause intense damage to the eyes when there is too much exposure; reduced vision, damage to the corneas, and in worst case scenarios blindness can occur too. Have you ever heard of those people that had contests as children, contest to see who could stare into the sun for the longest without looking away? Well if you do, chances are they all have glasses now because they can’t see right.

Now Imagine your baby’s eyes as it sits in a stroller constantly looking up at the sun. Simply put, give your baby UV protective sunglasses and save a fortune on eye glasses in the future!

Hydration

The final thing to remember when frolicking in the sunlight with your precious baby is that sunlight and especially the heat from the sun causes dehydration, and severe dehydration can lead to seizures and other life threatening sicknesses.

Always be sure to keep your baby hydrated with some fresh water!