Enjoying sunshine sensibly

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 315, 28 November 1989, Page 12

Enjoying sunshine sensibly

Now that summer is here, babies and small children in particular need protection from the sun when outside. Babies should never be exposed to the direct sunlight so put on a sunhat and cover arms and legs because even a

short stroll in a pushchair to the shop can result in sunbum. Children over one year, when playing outside need to be protected with a complete sunblock cream and it should be renewed regularly and throughout the

day. Always dress young children in sunhats and comfortable loose clothing to avoid burning and blistering. Try to encourage young children to play under a sun umbrella when outside. Extra fluids are needed in the hot weather, so avoid dehydration by offering young children frequent drinks. Babies under one year should be given just plain, cooled boiled water in their bottles and those older babies can drink their water from a cup. Juices and cordials

are not good and they can often make the child more thirsty as sweetened drinks don't really quench the thirst. Besides these have been proved to cause dental decay in baby teeth. Avoid offering milo and tea to babies and young children as these also can cause early dental decay. Remember babies drinking milk from bottles should always be held - never left lying down in bed, or on the floor to feed themselves, because of the danger of milk residues causing ear infections.