{say "no" to suncreen?}

You learn something new every day... I just read on The Bump that the American Academy of Pediatricians {AAP} recommends not using sunscreen on babies less than 6 months old. I would have thought the exact opposite- their skin is so tender and delicate so the more, the better, right? I've got so much to learn... :P


Here's a little explanation I found on www.parenting.ivilliage.com:

There are two very important reasons for not overusing sunscreen in young babies:

1. Infants and children have what is called a high body surface to volume ratio. What this means is that proportionately babies have more skin for the size body as compared to an adult. Sunscreens are made of chemicals. On the older child and adult, the chemical exposure is relatively minimal because the body surface ratio is smaller than a baby. Therefore, babies get a higher "dose" of sunscreen than do those older. While this exposure would most likely not cause any problems, the likelihood of an adverse reaction is greater.
   
2. Babies have a mildly impaired mechanism to keep cool by sweating. In addition, they have a greater risk of becoming dehydrated due to heat. Sunscreen can somewhat impair effective cooling by perspiration, so placing too much of it on an infant could be detrimental.

If you absolutely cannot avoid the sun during the first couple months, the AAP recommends using a non-chemical sunscreen, like California Baby SPF 30+. Good to know!