There is a popular belief that May sun is beneficial for vitamin D. For this reason, it is thought that it is important for children to get tanned in May sun.
However, considering that the temperature has sharply increased immediately after cool weather and now 30-31 degrees Celsius is observed, what are the benefits and harms of exposing children to the sun in such weather?
Pediatrician Shalala Polukhova gave a statement to AzEdu.az on the topic.
According to her, excessive exposure to sunlight can lead to more serious problems in children:
“Recently, especially today, it is felt that the weather suddenly got hot, the temperature sharply increased, and the sun is more intense. Of course, the sun has many benefits. It is clear that there are UVB rays, for example, which are very important for vitamin D synthesis in us. However, there is a point here: it is not absolutely necessary for children to get tanned from the sun. On the contrary, excessive exposure to sunlight can lead to more serious problems in children. Therefore, we need to be careful.
The main goal here is not for the child to get tanned from the sun, but to ensure that they benefit from the sun at appropriate hours and under necessary conditions. What can happen here? Of course, there are hours we need to pay attention to regarding the sun. It is advisable not to expose children to sunlight between 10:00 and 16:00, and not to keep them directly under the sun. If necessary, it would be better for children to spend time under the sun before 10:00 AM or after 4:00 PM.”
The child's p, especially the child's skin, is more sensitive compared to adults:
“When outdoors during the hours I mentioned, special attention must be paid to head coverings, light-colored, cool and comfortable clothing in the summer season, as well as plenty of fluid intake. Infants are more sensitive to dehydration. In general, the child's p, especially the child's skin, is more sensitive compared to adults. Therefore, excessive sun exposure at inappropriate hours, keeping the child under the sun until they get tanned, can lead to sunstroke, heatstroke, and skin burns. Therefore, we need to be careful.
For children over 6 months, we recommend using sunscreens appropriately with the advice of a pediatrician. In general, when it comes to vitamin D intake, sometimes sunlight alone is not enough. Especially in infants up to 2 years old, prophylactic vitamin D is given with a doctor's advice and prescription. That is, it is not advisable to arbitrarily stop that prophylactic vitamin D preparation just because 'there is sun'.”
