Can infants get a sunburn? The answer is yes! A sunburn happens when your skin is exposed to too much of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. This causes the outer layer of your skin to have an inflammatory response, just as it would if you touched your hand to a hot surface.
Within the first 4 to 6 hours after UV exposure, you’ll notice redness at the site of the sunburn. It may continue to deepen for the first 12 hours and it might become pretty painful.
Everyone’s skin is vulnerable to UV rays, even if you have naturally darker skin. But infants, in particular, burn extremely easily. Their skin is thin and delicate.
Babies also don’t have as much melanin as older children and adults. This skin pigmentation provides us with some natural protection against the sun’s rays.
There are two kinds of UV light to protect your baby from: UVA and UVB. While UVB is the most common culprit of sunburn, UVA exposure can cause premature signs of aging, like wrinkles and discoloration. Both types of UV rays can increase your chances of skin cancer. Right now you are probably thinking “I can just use sunscreen on my baby’s skin “, but sunscreen isn’t recommended on babies under 6 months old. So how are you supposed to keep them safe?
When is a baby sunburn an emergency?
Most sunburns don’t require emergency treatment, but there are a few easy ways to tell if they do.
A sunburn that’s warm, red, and simply uncomfortable or irritating can be treated at home, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
On the other hand, a sunburn that’s blistered or causes any of the following symptoms should prompt an immediate call to your child’s doctor:
- fever or chills
- confusion or lethargy
- vomiting
- general malaise, irritation, or feeling unwell
This could be a sign that your child is dehydrated, has heat stroke, or has sun poisoning and needs to receive medical care ASAP.
You can soothe your baby’s sunburn with a cool, damp cloth, applied as often as needed. Be sure to use gentle soaps during bath time such as our Baby 2-in-1 Shampoo Body Gel or our Eczema Shampoo Body Gel.
It will also be helpful to keep your little one’s skin moisturized with a baby-safe aloe vera gel or a scent free mild lotion. Our Baby Vegan Multi Purpose Butter is great at soothing little ones skin. This butta can also help soothe itchiness that can occur from mosquito bites and/or grass . Cool baths, lots of fluids for hydration, soft and lightweight clothing along with bucket hats — these easy remedies will go a long way toward making baby comfortable while they get through the worst of the sunburn.