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Children and the sun
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| If enjoyed in moderate doses, the sun has beneficial effects for our bodies, but you have to be careful to avoid overexposure, which is especially dangerous in the case of small children. In order to make sure your children make the most of their seaside holiday, it's a good idea to take a few precautions and implement a specific dietary regime. |
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Those first hot days and first cases of sunburn. Babies and toddlers are the most at risk when it comes to excessive exposure to the sun. Here are a few basic guidelines that will help you protect your youngest children from being badly sunburned, an especially alarming occurrence, as the skin "has a memory" and if small children are burned severely, they run a much higher risk of developing serious skin ailments as adults. It is certainly true that the sun is good for children, as it promotes the formation of the vitamin D necessary for the development of strong bones, as well as stimulating the metabolism and accelerating cellular activity, lifting spirits and reinforcing the immune system. However, it is just as true that the sun must be taken in small doses. In any case, to promote the production of vitamin D, our bodies require only 15 minutes a day of direct exposure to sunlight.
The rules are simple. Avoid the hottest hours of the day (from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.), going out in the early morning and late afternoon. Skin should always be protected with a sun shield that has been especially designed for small children, capable of protecting their delicate skin from harsh UVB and UVA radiation. A good rule of thumb when shopping for sun creams suitable for small children is to never drop below an SPF factor of 15. In addition, it's always a good idea to use lots of cream and repeat the application every time the child comes out of the water. In the evening, you should continue to moisturize your child's delicate skin with a good children's after-sun product.
And speaking of replenishing precious fluids, you mustn't limit your efforts to skin care. In hot weather, just like adults, children lose a lot of bodily liquids due to sweating and these liquids must be replenished. So be sure to provide your children with a diet that is rich in liquids: water, fruit juice and blended drinks, never serving drinks that are too cold.
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Many of the problems associated with the sun, such as erythema and dehydration, can be avoided, or at least mitigated, by a proper diet. A couple of weeks before heading to the seaside, you should start enhancing your younger (three years or older) children's diet with foods that are rich in carotene and vitamin A (carrots and other orange vegetables, milk, butter and the liver of mammals), potassium (potatoes, legumes, bananas and apricots), zinc (dairy products, wheat, red-meat fish) and vitamin E (cereals, vegetable and olive oil, green salad and tomatoes). During the summer you should try to greatly reduce fried foods and animal fats, elaborate deserts and over-cooked foods from your children's diet, focusing on simple foods, like pasta topped with a simple tomato sauce or pesto, large quantities of fruit and vegetables, fish and yogurt.
When young children are thirsty, water is always the best answer, but juices are also an excellent choice, especially the low-sugar variety. The ideal solution would be to personally prepare healthy fresh-fruit and fresh vegetable drinks with your juice extractor or to whip up delightfully refreshing, wholesome blended concoctions.
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