Under six months of age, of course has to avoid the sun
completely, carry an umbrella, wear protective clothing. Remember
the clothing has to be tightly woven clothing, that means that the sun
cannot go through the clothing. If you want to know whether it does
or not, just put the cloth against the sun, if you see it shining through,
it’s not protective; wear a wide brimmed hat and a sunscreen.
There was some controversy whether to apply or not to
apply sunscreen under six months of age, because there was a concern that
babies would not be able to produce enough Vitamin D, but that has been
solved and that hasn’t been shown to be a problem, so it’s safe to apply
sunscreen on the baby. I would certainly try not to apply sunscreen
that is alcohol based, just to make sure it doesn’t irritate the skin.
STEVEN SHAPIRO, MD: Actually, as a parent of a six
month old, I think it’s also great to keep plenty of water out there as
well because they could become dehydrated very, very easily. That’s
one of the reasons why it’s probably better if they’re not out there to
begin with, too.
SUSAN CINGARI: What about strollers, when you put
babies in strollers? A lot of parents take their kids out in strollers.
If they have an overhead hang, does it protect the baby under six months
from sunburn?
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