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Guarding against skin cancer at the beach As school lets out for the summer and families take to the pool and beach, it is important to remember that fun in the sun can pose a serious danger to children who are not fully protected. Even minimal exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays can increase the likelihood that a child will develop skin cancer as an adult. Often, parents overlook this future possibility. But even dark-skinned children can get a sunburn, significantly increasing their risk of melanoma, or skin cancer, later on in life. Furthermore, too much sun can cause wrinkles, freckles, cataracts, skin texture changes and dilated blood vessels. At one time, soaking up the sun's rays was considered healthy, but today there is no safe amount of ultraviolet light. One reason we must be more careful than ever is due to decreases in the Earth's protective ozone layer. Because of ozone deterioration, the ultraviolet rays of the sun are able to penetrate the Earth with greater intensity, posing an increased risk to children in the sun. Many parents might think that sunscreen is a sufficient precaution against the damaging potential of these UV rays, but pediatric researchers are contending that sunscreen alone is not enough to protect children completely.

Who's being protected? During July and August of 1995, researchers from Dartmouth Medical School studied 871 children, ages 2 to 9, and their parents/caregivers at beaches in 10 small New Hampshire towns. Paying close attention to the methods and items used to protect the head, torso and legs of the children as they played in the sun, the researchers discovered that nearly half of all children were not fully protected from the danger of ultraviolet rays. In fact, 17 percent of the children studied were not protected in any way. These researchers also observed that certain body surface regions were better protected than others. For boys, the legs were most often protected, while for girls, the legs were most often not protected. For both sexes, the torso usually received adequate protection, while the face received little, if any. Noting that sunscreen provided the most common form of protection for children, the Dartmouth researchers emphasized the importance of using multiple methods to avoid direct exposure to the sun. In addition to sunscreen, hats, shirts and shade can also allow children to guard against sunburn and the future possibility of skin cancer. Moreover, parents should ensure that their children are protecting themselves fully from the damaging rays of the sun rather than protecting one or two body surface regions only. The American Academy of Pediatrics offers a free brochure on sun safety for children. Anyone interested can obtain one by sending a #10 self addressed, stamped envelope to: American Academy of Pediatrics, Dept. C - Fun in the Sun, PO Box 927, Elk Grove Village, IL 60009-0927. --by Chris Lilienthal