Nobody's done the studies for kids under 6 months, so I can't, with
official-ness, say that sunscreen in this age group is safe. Of course, there
isn't much to say that it causes harm and it makes much more sense to use
sunscreen than to potentially have your kids get sunburn. So unofficially and
with a huge dose of common sense, I think that you can and should use it for the
littlest members of your family. Plus, cover the kids up, keep them under hats and
umbrellas, or keep them someplace cool. Try not to be outside in the sun
between 11:00am to 2:00 pm - that's when the ultraviolet light, the bad stuff,
is at its peak.
However, the sun is important and total avoidance of it can result in low levels
of vitamin D, an important part of your immune system. We don't want the
kids to burn, but they do need some sun. Fifteen minutes without sunscreen
before applying or a vitamin D supplement might be something to consider.
(Another article to
consider.)
PLEASE NOTE: The combination sunscreen/insect repellant products should be avoided.
Sunscreen is meant to be applied frequently and insect repellant shouldn't be.
And DEET degrades sunscreen.
updated June 21, 2008