take care in the sun!

1. It is estimated that 80 per of total UV exposure occurs in the first 18 years of life · Sunburn in childhood can contribute to the development of skin cancer in adulthood.
2. Remember you can burn in the UK. The Great British sun is quite capable of burning your child so you should take extra care at home as well as abroad.
3. Keep babies under 6 months old out of the sun altogether. DoH guidelines recommend that babies of this age are kept in the shade, using sun umbrellas to provide maximum shade at all times and never leaving them unattended as they cannot move with the shade.
4. Keep your baby/child out of direct sunlight as much as possible, especially between 11am and 3pm, when the sun's rays are strongest. Use your shadow to guide you - If your shadow is longer than you are, then you are safe from the sun. When your shadow is shorter than you, the sun is too intense and you should stay in the shade or indoors. Don't be fooled by a cool breeze, or light cloud - even on an overcast day 80 per cent of the ultraviolet rays can come through the clouds
5. Sand, water, concrete, and other light surfaces reflect UV light onto the skin, increasing the risk of sunburn so take extra care when swimming, boating or playing on the beach.
6. Covering the skin with cool, loose clothing is one of the safest and least expensive ways of protecting children from the sun. Long sleeve t-shirts and hats which shade the face, neck and ears are best. Clothing made from tightly woven fabrics, such as cotton, offer good protection from the sun's rays. If you hold the clothes up to a lamp you can see which ones will offer the best protection - they're more likely to provide protection if not too much light comes through. 
7. Choose light-colored clothing and hats as they will reflect the sun's rays and help keep your child cooler. Avoid dark-colours as they tend to absorb heat.
8. Use dry clothing - wet clothing stretches and can lose up to half of its UV protection so put children in dry clothing after playing in water.
9. Wear hats and sunglasses. Wide brimmed hats will provide more shade and everyone should wear wrap-around glasses to protect the eyes from damage. Buy good quality, wraparound sunglasses for children, as soon as they can wear them. Toy sunglasses can do more harm than good - unless the glasses have a UVA filter, they're more dangerous than nothing at all.
10. Buy an umbrella to use in your garden or on your patio, and use a portable umbrella at the beach or park.
11. Apply a high factor sunscreen, SPF15 or above. Make sure it is broad spectrum to protect against UVA and UVB. Re-apply regularly, especially after swimming or rubbing.
12. It's a good idea to apply sunscreen at least 20 minutes before sun exposure to give it a chance to work its way in. And reapply it at least every two hours and after your baby has played in water, even if it's waterproof.
13. Do not use sunscreen to prolong the time your child spends in the sun.
14. When trying a new sunscreen, do a patch test first to make sure your child doesn't have a reaction to it. If he does develop a rash or redness at the test site, choose a hypoallergenic formula instead.
15. You may want to stick with the more natural blocks, made simply of the mineral zinc oxide(you can now buy a micronized version which won't show up white) rather than their chemical counterparts
16. Check the "use by" date on your suncream to ensure it is still effective.
17. If your child is at nursery, preschool or school give them a hat to wear and, if they can't apply sunscreen at nursery/preschool/school, cover their exposed skin with factor 15+ before they go.
18. Never leave your baby sleeping alone in the car. Even with the windows open temperatures inside a parked car can rise frighteningly quickly.
19. Ensure that your baby is drinking a lot of fluids. Whether it is breast milk or water especially if it is very hot so that he doesn't get dehydrated. If your baby is breastfed, they do not need additional water, your breastmilk will provide them with all the fluids they need.
20. Protect your babies from the wind as harsh wind can damage their delicate skin as well. Keep you baby well covered while taking them out.

If despite everything your child gets sunburnt, you should

• Take your child indoors and carefully cool the area with cool water or compresses (such a cloth nappy, flannel or muslin square soaked in cool water) for 10 to 15 minutes a few times a day (make sure your child doesn't get too chilly).
• Make sure they have plenty of fluids.
• Aloe vera gel can relieve the pain of sunburn and help to rehydrate the skin. It's cool and clear and won't stain clothing or bedding, and it's completely safe.
• If the sunburn is severe and the skin is blistering (this is a type of second-degree burn), or if you are worried, call your GP for advice.
• Ensure that the sunburn has healed before exposing the skin to the sun again.

• Hot, dry and red skin.
• Nausea or vomiting.
• Headache.
• Raised temperature sustained over 38°C or 100°F.
• Listlessness/drowsiness or even confusion.
• Dizziness or even unconsciousness.