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Should Babies Wear Sunscreen? No, Says FDA
The best protection is shade, explains an FDA consumer report.
The FDA says the best approach to protecting babies from the sun is to keep them in the shade.
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You are at the beach with your baby. You are slathered in sunscreen. Should you put some on your infant?
According to an FDA pediatrician, you really shouldn't.
"The best approach is to keep infants under 6 months out of the sun and to avoid exposure to the sun in the hours between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when ultraviolet (UV) rays are most intense," says Hari Cheryl Sachs, M.D., a pediatrician at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in a consumer report.
The reason? A babies' skin is really thin and absorbs the chemical ingredients in sunscreen easily, increasing the risk of an allergic reaction or inflammation.
Sachs explains that the best protection is keeping baby in the shade.
For more tips on keeping infants safe in the summer, visit the FDA's website.
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