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What was your pedi's reason for no sunblock under 6 months?

EcoBabyEcoBaby
in Babies: 0 - 3 Months
Mine said he thinks pedi's say that because they don't think kids should be in the sun at all or because it could cause problems for sensitive skin, and he said I should just use sunblock. But I'm wondering what your pedi's actual reason was because mine didn't think it was that serious to use sunblock under 6 months.
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Re: What was your pedi's reason for no sunblock under 6 months?

  • MamaMyers22MamaMyers22

    I want to know too.  I used it on my other kids before 6 months because I had never heard before that it wasn't okay unti I started posting here.

    I live in San Diego, there's no way to completely avoid the sun. 

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  • MistylMistyl
    Mine didn't say why, but he said I could start using it and get dd in the pool at 4-5 months.
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  • catmw21catmw21 member
    my ped said to use sunblocktoo, i have read and heard not to from others as well...curious too
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  • jll1881jll1881
    Mine said she shouldn't be in enough sun to necessitate sunblock, but if we will be in the sun that I should use it.
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  • ncsubridencsubride member

    There's a bit of a mixed message about sunscreen for babies under six months. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Skin Cancer Foundation, and the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) all recommend that you hold off on applying sunscreen until baby is 6 months old.

    Sunscreen hasn't been tested on babies younger than this age, and it is simply not known whether it's harmful or helpful. But the AAP and the AAD add that if for some reason you can't keep your baby out of the sun or well-covered, then sunscreen should be applied.

    However, the chemicals in sunscreens are likely to be absorbed more quickly through the skin and into the bloodstream in babies than in children or adults.

    "They're a smaller package," explains Maribeth Chitkara, M.D., a spokesperson for the Skin Cancer Foundation and a pediatrician. "If you measure the area of their body surface and compare it to what they weigh, that ratio is much higher in a baby. This means they have a higher risk of absorbing more chemicals."

    What's more, a baby's sensitive skin is more likely to react to the ingredients in sunscreens. Finally, experts agree that babies shouldn't be in direct sun long enough to need sunscreen in the first place.

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  • grettazgrettaz member
    I asked my pedi about this last week.  She said that they don't recommend sunscreen under 6 months because they prefer babies to stay out of the sun. She said that if you are going to be in the sun, to definitely use it, and the higher the SPF the better.  So it's not the actual sunblock that's the problem, they just don't want them to be in a situation where they would need it.
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  • EcoBabyEcoBaby
    imagencsubride:

    Sunscreen hasn't been tested on babies younger than this age, and it is simply not known whether it's harmful or helpful. But the AAP and the AAD add that if for some reason you can't keep your baby out of the sun or well-covered, then sunscreen should be applied.

    Thanks! This makes sense.

    My baby will have to be the test baby because I'm using it on him when we go to the lake.

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  • catmw21catmw21 member

    So what is the maximum recommendation for baby under 6 months being in the sun without sunscreen??

    If I have her in the shade is this ok?

    If she wears a hat and is mostly covered, is this ok or still a no go??

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  • EcoBabyEcoBaby
    imagecatmw21:

    So what is the maximum recommendation for baby under 6 months being in the sun without sunscreen? 

    If I have her in the shade is this ok?

    If she wears a hat and is mostly covered, is this ok or still a no go? 

    I wouldn't put her in the sun for longer than 15 minutes without sunscreen, personally.

    You can still get sunburned through your clothes so its best to use clothes with an SPF of 50 (you can find them all over now - they usually look like surf suit things).

    I think the shade is fine, but you can still get burned in the shade if the sunlight is reflecting back at you - like on a beach, for example.

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  • yo.mamayo.mama member
    What the other pp said about skin absorption. No chemical sunblock under 6 months. Chem free sunblock like California Baby is fine under 6 months. UV blocking clothes and hats are great.
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  • californiaclairecaliforniaclaire
    I was wondering this too. I'm planning to ask our pedi at our next appt next week. DS loves to be outside & it's hard to keep him in the shade. I use the sun-shade on his stroller, but he gets upset when I pull it down so far he can't see on his walks.
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