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During last July’s 5.8 earthquake, 3-year-old Bronwyn told her 1-year-old sister, “We’re going for a wiggle.” READ MORE
Kids' Health
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What could be more fun than a day at the beach or a summer picnic? How many of us have spent long weekends on the soccer field in the hot sun while our children play for the championship? This is part of life in Southern California and why we live here. But beware, all is not what it appears. The image of the toned and tanned beachgoer is beginning to change. Now we are looking at toned with clear, smooth skin, vibrant and youthful AND cancer free! The sun and outdoors we love have some long-term and possibly avoidable secondary events. So where is the balance between a hermit's life in the dark and the life we love? Think of it as a way of keeping yourself healthy in ALL aspects. Health-care professionals promote good nutrition and exercise as well as avoidance of obesity and smoking. Your skin, your first defense against invasion and infection, needs to be kept healthy. This care begins from the day you are born. Of course, parents, as primary educators, are responsible for beginning their children on the path of lifetime health. Having a healthy respect for the sun comes from parents' knowledge and example. Sun exposure is responsible for the majority of skin cancers, especially melanoma. Yet since nearly 80 percent of a person's lifetime sun damage occurs by age 18, it is critical to protect early. People with moles are at increased risk for malignancy and most moles develop as a response to sun exposure. Therefore, decreasing sun exposure will decrease the number of moles and subsequent, life-threatening skin cancers. Regular use of sunscreens and protective clothing can lower the risk of skin cancer by nearly 80 percent. Sunburn in early life can have life-long effects on a person's skin and increases the potential for cancer development. Here are six tips: ¨ Infants less than 6 months of age should have only brief exposure to the sun such as getting in and out of the car or taking a short walk around the block and not at the peak times of the day. ¨ Beyond 6 months, light clothing will help protect from excessive exposure for short periods of time. However, if there is a risk for longer exposure, sunscreens of at least SPF 15 or greater should be applied. Babies with red cheeks may be cute, but those red cheeks should not be from the sun. ¨ Toddlers and school-age children should wear sunscreen on their exposed areas all year round when they are out in the sun. Don't forget that your kindergarten child has recess and lunch time (when the sun is hottest) outside. Encourage schools to have shaded areas for children to play, decreasing their exposure at these peak times. ¨ Teenagers who play sports are at particular risk of excessive sun exposure. Extra clothing may be difficult to wear when uniforms are required and may restrict the athletic activity. It is important to apply waterproof sports sunscreens repeatedly (every two hours) when athletes are sweating. Put on the sunscreen 30 minutes before the activity begins in order to allow it to dry on the skin. ¨ Encourage your teenage daughter to use makeup with sunscreen to keep that youthful, young skin disease-free. They have the opportunity to apply some color with makeup rather than with a tan. A new line of tinted moisturizers is on the market. Make sure they have sunscreens and encourage daily use. ¨ Adopt the Australian "Slip-Slop-Slap" motto. "Slip on a shirt - slop on the sunscreen - slap on a hat." Dr. Clyde Wesp is a pediatrician with Southern Orange County Pediatric Associates with offices in Lake Forest, Laguna Hills, Rancho Santa Margarita and Ladera Ranch and is affiliated with Saddleback Memorial Medical Center, Mission Hospital and Children's Hospital of Orange County. He is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Memorial Care Physician Society. Questions: E-mail Dr Wesp at: askdrwesp@netscape.net. |
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