How to prevent and treat sunburns in children.
When it comes to kids and sunshine, it important to slap on the hats and sunscreen, and to keep them out of the sun during the hottest hours of the day, or they may end up with a sunburn. And as Dr. Saul Greenberg, pediatrican with the Hospital for Sick Children tells us, those burns can do a lot of damage down the road. “The more sunburns you get as a child, there is an increased risk of melanoma as an adult. And of course an increased risk of basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, actinic keratosis; these are other skin lesions that are cancerous and something that hopefully can be prevented.”
If your child does end up with a sunburn, here’s how to treat it. “Probably the best way is to probably use cool compresses or cool baths. Secondly one can use a moisturizer on the skin, and thirdly, if it’s really painful to use a pain reliever such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.”