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Preventing Skin Cancer Begins at Birth, According to Pediatric Dermatologist at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia |
SourceThe Children's Hospital of Philadelphia ForumsHealth, Safety, Nutrition and KidsRelated ArticlesAmerican Academy of Dermatology: A Lifetime Of Healthier Skin Begins With BabyParents on Right Sun Safety Track: But Still Room for Improvement
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PHILADELPHIA, June 6 -- Protecting your baby's skin will prevent sunburn now and also may guard against a more serious problem in the future. "The damaging effects of the sun's rays are cumulative," says Paul J. Honig, M.D., chief of Dermatology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "Although the incidence of skin cancer is low in young people, severe sunburn or continued exposure to the sun early on in life may be correlated with skin cancer later in life." Dr. Honig explains that there are three types of skin cancer: basal cell, squamous cell and melanoma. Basal cell and squamous are highly curable, but melanoma is the most lethal. "Melanoma is also one of three cancers that continues to rise at a rate of about 3 percent annually," he adds, quoting recent statistics published by The American Cancer Society, The Centers for Disease Control and others. "This means one in 75 individuals will develop melanoma in his or her lifetime. Why? It may be because people have more leisure time and money for vacations, and many parents bring their young children along with them." Medical professionals agree that exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays appears to be the most important factor in the development of skin cancer. "Yet skin cancer is largely preventable when protection is used on a consistent basis, beginning at infancy," Dr. Honig explains. In recent years, there has been a controversy over whether sunscreen should be used on young children. Although sunscreen is sold over the counter, it has never been tested for use in children. In August 1999, The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reversed its recommendation that sunscreen not be used on children 6 months of age or younger. "The AAP had based its earlier decision on the fact that sunscreen manufacturers were not allowed to test those products on very young children. The AAP then decided that since little ones are so vulnerable to sunburn, it is better to apply sunscreen and to protect them as best we can. Because testing has never been done, there is no evidence that using sunscreen on a baby's skin is harmful," says Dr. Honig. According to Dr. Honig, "Most of our exposure to the sun occurs before we turn 18 because as a rule children tend to spend more time outdoors. If a child has two severe sunburns before age 18, he is at greater risk for skin cancer generally. In other words, the skin remembers each sunburn and each suntan year after year." Dr. Honig points out that children with certain characteristics are particularly at risk for skin cancer. These include children with:
The predisposition for melanoma is also hereditary. Dr. Honig cautions, "Be extra careful about keeping a child out of the sun if a family member, especially a parent or grandparent, has had melanoma. "Keep in mind that the sun's rays can cause damage when they reflect off a light surface, such as sand, water or snow. Altitude also affects the intensity of the sun's rays. For every 1,000 feet of altitude, you increase the effect of the sun's rays by 5 percent. In mile-high Denver, your exposure is 25 percent stronger than at sea level," Dr. Honig says. "The bottom line is it's never too early to start protecting the skin from the sun's harmful rays. Apply sunscreen to your infant and encourage your teens to stay out of the sun and to protect themselves by applying sunscreen when they do go out," he advises. About the expert: Paul J. Honig, M.D. is Chief of Dermatology at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He is Professor of Pediatrics and of Pediatrics in Dermatology at The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Certified by The American Board of Pediatrics and The American Board of Dermatology, Dr. Honig is a member of The American Academy of Pediatrics, The American Academy of Dermatology and The Society for Pediatric Dermatology. He is the co-author of several books and his work has been widely-published in leading medical journals and conference proceedings. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the nation's first children's hospital, is a world-renowned leader in patient care, education and research. This 373-bed multi-specialty hospital provides comprehensive pediatric services to children from before birth through age 19. The Hospital admits more than 17,000 patients, and provides care in more than 50,000 emergency and 600,000 outpatient visits annually. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia operates a pediatric healthcare network that also includes The Joseph Stokes, Jr. Research Institute, eight outpatient specialty care centers, four primary care centers, inpatient units at four community hospitals, a poison control center, home care and 27 Kids First pediatric and adolescent practices in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Tips for applying sunscreen to your infant Dr. Paul Honig, Chief of Dermatology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, offers this advice to help protect your child's skin now and in the future: Conduct a patch test first to make sure your child does not develop a rash. Apply a small dab of sunscreen to the back of the baby's neck or back. If there is no reaction, then apply a small amount of sunscreen to the baby's face, arms, the back of the hands and any other part of the body that will be exposed to the sun. Sunscreen should be applied about 20 minutes before exposure to the sun and reapplied if the baby has been in the water, even if the sunscreen is waterproof. The best sunscreen to use is that marked "broad spectrum" because it blocks both ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B rays. Myth: If you put on sunscreen, you can stay out in the sun as long as you want. Reality: Dr. Honig says, "If you're fair skinned, you can stay in the sun for 10 minutes without a sunscreen before your skin turns pink. If you put on a sunscreen with SPF 15, then you can stay in the sun 15 times longer or 150 minutes before turning pink. However after those 150 minutes are up, you get no more protection even if you apply more sunscreen." Myth: A sun tan makes you look healthy and attractive. Reality: A sun tan is actually the body's way of letting you now that damage is occurring. Dr. Honig explains that when your body is injured by ultraviolet radiation, it makes melanin, the dark pigment that blocks out damaging rays. Myth: Baby oil helps protect you from the sun. Reality: "Baby oil actually enhances the damaging effect of the sun's ultraviolet rays. Dr. Honig is especially concerned that teenage girls continue to spend time in the sun, applying baby oil, to achieve what they think is an attractive tan. In reality, tanning is the body's way of letting you know that damage is occurring. Myth: People with darker skin tones don't need sunscreen. Reality: People with darker skin tones previously thought that the effects of the sun were less damaging because they had more melanin pigment in their skin. While it's true that African Americans, Native Americans, Asians and Latinos may seem to have more protection from ultraviolet B rays because of melanin, they can still get sunburn to some degree. "And people with darker skin tones are still vulnerable to the ultraviolet A rays that cause wrinkling and other damage to the skin," Dr. Honig explains. Myth: Glass shields you from the sun. Reality: The sun's rays are not blocked by glass. Therefore, make sure your child's skin is protected while he or she is in the car. Myth: Sunscreen blinds children. Reality: Last year, a widely circulated email claimed that waterproof sunscreen is responsible for blinding many children. The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Academy of Dermatology said in a joint statement that this is not true. Dr. Honig said that sunscreen may cause a mild eye irritation. If that occurs, apply plenty of water to the eye and contact your child's doctor if the irritation continues. ------------------------------------------------------------------------Web site: The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia CONTACT: The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia June 6, 2000 |
