CBS 19 talks to Trinity Clinic Pediatrician Dr. David Osteen about sun exposure and children. Getting too much sun is bad for anyone, but it's especially dangerous for babies, whose sensitive skin hasn't developed enough layers of natural protection to withstand intense summer rays. "People don't realize the concerns of exposing a child less than [age] 2 to the sun," says Joan Tamburro, DO, director of pediatric dermatology at UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, in Cleveland. In fact, sun-related skin changes that occur as early as the first year of life may trigger a cascade of reactions that could lead to melanoma and other forms of skin cancer later in life, according to a new review in the July issue of Pediatrics. Health.com: Sunproof your skin from A to Z The skin acts as a physical barrier to ultraviolet (UV) rays, but it also plays a role in keeping the immune system healthy. UV radiation can suppress the immune system and damage skin cells -- a process that may happen more quickly in babies than in adults, the authors note. (Two of the authors are employees of Johnson & Johnson, which makes baby sunscreen and other products, and the others have received speaking fees or research funding from the company.) Few studies have looked specifically at baby skin and sun exposure. However, researchers do know that young skin has lower levels of the skin-protecting pigment melanin and a thinner outer layer, which allows UV rays to more easily reach the melanin ...
Tags: Trinity, Mother, Frances, Hospitals, Clinics, Pediatrics, David, Osteen, Sun, Exposure
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