Infants and children are more susceptible to UV damage because the lenses in their eyes are clearer. Please take the following steps when taking your children outdoors:
- Keep children younger than 6 months out of direct sunlight. Choose the shade, an umbrella, or a baby stroller when outside with a very young child or infant. Make sure the stroller has a shade for the sun.
- To help ensure your children wear their sunglasses, allow them to select a style they like. Many manufacturers make frames with cartoon characters or multi-colored frames.
- Make sure your child wears a wide-brimmed hat or a baseball cap, which provides some UV protection, if he/she will not tolerate sunglasses.
- Try to keep children out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The sun’s rays are the strongest at these hours.
- Be sure to wear sunglasses or a hat outside yourself. Children often follow the example of their parents.
- Remind children to wear their sunglasses or a hat even on cloudy days. Most of the sun’s rays can come through the clouds on an overcast day.
- Teach your children to never look directly or stare at the sun.
