Sun protection in children
The skin of children needs the most protection. In the period up to the age of 18, the likelihood of lasting damage to your skin is highest. The consequences - skin cancer - are not felt until much later. Children should therefore only play outside in light, long clothes and a hat. Areas of the body that are exposed to the sun should be well creamed.
Important to know:
- Children respond to UV radiation more sensitive than adults and therefore need special protection.
- Also a single one sunburn in childhood it can Skin cancer risk already increase.
- It is estimated that most people have a large proportion of the UV dose of their lives before they turn 18.
- Some schools bring the kids UV protection at what the WHO rates as very positive. Nevertheless, parents should also teach their children how to use the sun in a healthy way.
Vitamin D Deficiency in Children
Based on the statements of the World Health Organization, good sun protection is particularly important for children. So: sunscreen wear a sun hat and T-shirt, avoid direct midday sun and wear sunglasses.
But be careful: Too much of a good is not good either. Because many parents take sun protection for children too seriously, i.e. keep their children's UV exposure as low as possible, many children often suffer from it unnoticed Vitamin D deficiency. This can have far-reaching consequences because vitamin D has a very strong influence on the body Bone stability and immune system development Has. Such a deficiency can usually not be determined directly because the symptoms are very unspecific or the consequences are only noticed too late.
This is why it is important to think about vitamin D as well. The Federal Office of Public Health recommends feeding children in the first year of life 400 IU of vitamin D. supplement per day and then with 600 IU per day.
The sun-a-wear app helps you protect your children from the sun. Learn with our mascot Sunny Children a healthy approach to the sun playfully. Sunny shows children when and how to protect themselves. Many parents have reported to us that, thanks to Sunny's help, putting lotion on their children has become a lot easier.
Further reading:
Sources:
- World Health Organization (Are Children Particularly Vulnerable?): https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/radiation-sun-protection
- World Health Organization (protecting children from UV): https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/protecting-oneself-from-skin-cancer
- Supplement to the FOPH on vitamin D supplementation in children: https://www.blv.admin.ch/dam/blv/de/dokumente/das-blv/organisation/kommissionen/eek/vitamin-d-mangel/paediatric-amendment-vitamin-d.pdf.download.pdf/Paediatric_Amendment_vitamin_D.pdf
- Report of the Federal Nutrition Commission on Vitamin D: https://www.blv.admin.ch/dam/blv/de/dokumente/das-blv/organisation/kommissionen/eek/vitamin-d-mangel/datenlage-sicherheit-empfehlung-vitamin-d-mangel.pdf.download.pdf/EEK_Vitamin_D_Executive_Summary_de.pdf
