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How do I know if my baby has sunburn?If your baby has sunburn, her skin will look red and feel hot to the touch, even if you try to cool her down. If her sunburn is severe, her skin may blister and become swollen, and she may develop a fever.
Sunburn is caused by too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun. Sunburn usually happens in hot weather, but it can also happen when light reflects off snow (NHS 2012).
What’s the best way to treat my baby’s sunburn?
- Your baby is probably dehydrated from being out in the sun, so make sure she drinks plenty of fluids (NHS 2012). Give her plenty of breastmilk or formula. Formula-fed babies and babies on
solids can have extra water, too.
- Soothe the sunburned area. Soak a clean cloth nappy, flannel or muslin square in cool water, wring it out, and gently place it on the sunburned area for 10 to 15 minutes a few times a day. Just make sure your baby doesn’t get chilly. Don’t put ice or iced water on your baby’s skin as the cold can burn her skin (CKS 2007).
- Let your baby soak in a tepid bath. You could add a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to the water to make it more soothing.
- Apply a water-based moisturising lotion, aloe vera gel or calamine lotion to relieve itching, which can happen when the burn starts to peel (NHS 2012).
- You may like to give your baby something that will help to ease her pain and bring down her fever, if she has one. Your baby can have infant paracetamol from two months if she was born after 37 weeks and weighs over 4kg (9lb) (MHRA 2011). Or she can have infant ibuprofen if she is three months or older and weighs at least 5kg (11lb) (NHS 2012).
It’s best not to rub petroleum-based products, such as petroleum jelly, on your baby’s burnt skin. Oily products prevent heat and sweat from escaping and can worsen a burn. Also avoid first-aid sprays or ointments that contain benzocaine, which can cause irritation or an allergic reaction (Berman 2011).
Peeling usually begins three days to 10 days after the sunburn. Don’t be alarmed when it happens, peeling is a natural part of the healing process (NHS 2012). Just make sure your baby stays in the shade until her skin has healed. Dress her in loose cotton clothing that won’t irritate her sensitive skin.
Do I need to call the GP about my baby’s sunburn?Sunburn can be more serious than it appears in babies, so give your GP a call if you are at all concerned.
Contact your doctor if your baby’s sunburn blisters within the first 24 hours after she’s burned, as she may have a more serious second-degree burn. If your baby develops fluid-filled blisters, don’t cover them or try to pop them. This can lead to infections. Instead, take your child to see your GP who can examine them and, if necessary, put a dressing on them (CKS 2007).
Other signs of a serious sunburn include fever or extreme pain. Severe cases of sunburn can lead to heat stroke. If your baby vomits or loses consciousness, get help right away.
Is skin damage from the sun worth worrying about?Yes. Up to 80 per cent of your child’s lifetime sun exposure will occur during her first 18 years. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun is the number-one cause of skin cancers of all kind. Some studies suggest that severe sunburn during childhood increases the risk of melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, later in life (Oliveria et al 2006).
Fair-haired, pale-skinned, freckled, and green-eyed or blue-eyed children are most at risk for skin damage and cancer from sun exposure. However, the sun’s burning rays can also harm darker-skinned children (Berman 2011, NICE 2011: 6).
How can I prevent my baby from getting sunburn?Try not to expose your baby to the sun and use sunscreen regularly. These two steps can prevent burns and reduce your baby’s risk of certain skin cancers.
If your baby is younger than six months, keep her out of the sun completely. When she’s six months or older and wanting to crawl and play outside, you may prefer to keep her in the shade when the sun is at its hottest between 11am and 3pm.
When your baby is in the sun, dress her in a wide-brimmed hat and long-sleeved tops. Then use a waterproof sunscreen (with an SPF of at least 15) on any exposed skin (NHS 2012).
When buying sunscreen for your baby, do choose a lotion or spray made for children. This means it will be specially formulated for young skin.
Choose a sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 or more (NHS 2012). The SPF indicates the amount of protection against sunburn.
Also make sure the sunscreen protects against both UVA and UVB rays. It may be labelled UVA/UVB or broad spectrum. A good sunscreen should have a rating of four stars or more on the label. These stars measure the level of UVA protection, and five stars is the maximum.
Do apply sunscreen thickly to every area of your baby’s skin not covered by clothes or a hat, including her hands and feet. You’ll need a plum-sized dollop of sunscreen, probably far more than you’d expect. Put it on before she goes outdoors. Reapply at least every couple of hours and after she has played in water, even if the sunscreen is waterproof.
Last reviewed: April 2014
ReferencesBerman, K. 2011. Medical Encyclopedia: Sunburn. Medline Plus. www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus [Accessed March 2013]
CKS. 2007. Minor burns and scalds. cks.library.nhs.uk [Accessed March 2013]
MHRA. 2011. Paracetamol: updated dosing for children to be introduced. Drug safety update. Medicines and Healthcare Products Regularity Agency. www.mhra.gov.uk [accessed September 2014]
NICE. 2011. Skin cancer prevention: information, resources andenvironmental changes: Quick reference guide. www.nice.org.uk [Accessed March 2013]
NHS. 2012. NHS Choices. Sunburn. www.nhs.uk [Accessed March 2013]
Oliveria, SA, Saraiya M, Geller AC, et al. 2006. Sun exposure and risk of melanoma. Archives of Disease in Childhood. 91:131-138. adc.bmj.com [Accessed March 2013]