As much as 80% of our lifetime exposure to the sun occurs during childhood. Pat Thomas urges parents to make sure children are properly protected

Sun exposure and protection is a complex and contradictory area of child health. On the one hand, fresh air and sun are vital for children’s development. Sunlight, for example, is an important source of bone-building vitamin D. On the other hand, too much sun in childhood can seriously increase the risk of skin cancer in later life. Given this, it’s worrying that recent research published in the British Medical Journal shows that the majority of parents still don’t use sunscreens regularly to protect their children.

The study also suggests that adults and children who do use sunscreens may actually be at increased risk of developing skin cancer. This is because high SPF (sun protection factor) creams give sun worshippers a false sense of security, encouraging them to stay out in the sun much longer than they should.

Another twist to the story is that concerns are being raised about the safety of the chemicals used in sunscreens. Benzophenones and PABAs can cause allergic reactions.

So what’s a parent to do?

If you’ve seen your child suffering the agony of severe sunburn, you wouldn’t be blasé about protecting their skin in the future. Skin cancer, like all cancers, is a slow developing disease, often with decades between the trigger (in this case overexposure to the sun) and the emergence of the disease. Research shows that six episodes of serious sunburn before the age of 18 doubles the risk of developing skin cancer as an adult.

On balance, despite the concerns raised above, if your child is going to be out in the sun for extended periods then suncream is essential.

There are two basic types of sun protection available:

• Chemical sunblocks, which reflect or scatter the sun’s rays
• Chemical sunscreens, which absorb ultraviolet light (UV)

A recent Consumers’ Association report found that buying name brand suncreams was prohibitively expensive – as much as £60 per person for a week’s holiday. Switching to store brands, for instance those produced by Tesco, Boots, Superdrug and other reputable companies can cut the cost of sun protection by almost half. However, avoid buying cheap, unknown brands as these may have misleading SPF figures.

Go for a minimum SPF 15

And for younger children consider higher factors such as SPF 30. The Consumer’s Association report found that kids’ formulas (which are often more expensive) are no more effective than regular high SPF products.

Use suncreams liberally and often. Try to apply the cream half an hour before going outside to give it a chance to soak in.

The sun produces three types of UV radiation – A, B and C.

The SPF factor in your sun cream is for UVB protection only.

• Most UVB rays are filtered out by the ozone layer. The rest stimulate the skin to produce melanin, our natural defence against UV. For most people, however, the body can’t produce enough melanin if exposed to the sun for a long time, hence the need for protection.
• UVC is completely absorbed by the atmosphere before it reaches the earth.
• UVA rays are not filtered out by the ozone layer. They penetrate the skin at a deeper level than UVB, causing greater damage.

Gauging UVA protection is difficult, though most brands now put UVA information on their labels. Look for the star rating on the back of the bottle. It will be graded from one to four stars - four stars offers the best protection.

Other factors to consider:

• Many surfaces will reflect UV radiation – sand can reflect up to 25% and water can reflect up to 10% depending on the time of day. If you're on the top of a mountain or down at sea level the effects of UV are intensified.
• Beware of staying in the water too long on hot summer days. You feel cooler, the water amplifies the sun’s rays and washes your cream off (whatever it says on the packet) – a dangerous triple whammy.
• Up to 80% of UV rays can penetrate cloud covering. Infrared rays, which give the feeling of warmth, are filtered more efficiently by clouds, so there’s a tendency to stay outdoors longer on cloudy days increasing the risk of burning.
• Limit the time children spend in the sun between the hours of 11 am and 3 pm and be really careful with toddlers. Their skin is so sensitive they can burn, even in the shade.
• When your children are in the sun, cover as much of their skin as possible. Consider investing in special sun protective clothing which stops UV rays from reaching the skin. Buy hats and sunglasses (look for European Standard BS:EN:1836:1997) and encourage your children to wear them.
• Use a special protective tent or umbrella on the beach so that kids have somewhere to sit out of the sun. These can be purchased in many department stores and children’s shops or check out the following website
  www.jacksons-camping.co.uk/kidstuff/kidstents.htm for more information.

Instead of scaring your kids with facts and figures about skin cancer, lead by example. Cover up and keep slopping the cream on. Then they’ll follow suit.