SIL wants her baby to 'catch a tan'

[LocksHear]

AIBU to be fuming?!

She refuses to cover him up and isn't applying any sun lotion. Baby is 10 months.

Apparently no one puts sun lotion on their kid's in her country, and they're just kept out of the sun when it's at its strongest (between 1.30/3)

She's adamant he doesn't burn, and she doesn't. Which is true. But burning isn't the only sign of skin damage by the sun. So is a sun tan. Any change to pigmentation is, isn't it?

I was at the park with her and all the kids yesterday, I made a point of putting sun lotion on all of mine, and made sure I had loads in my hands when I said "Oh I've loads left. Let me do yours. Might as well, loads left "

She was very and said I'd rather you didn't. I didn't know what to say to that. 5 minutes later she claimed to have a migraine coming on and left.

I've been advised to report her to her health visitor but I know she doesn't have one.

Why on earth are you 'not keen'? confused

Bastards inventing a lotion that is proven to help prevent skin damage therefore helps prevent skin cancer?

Sunscreen is not recommded for babies.

From the US FDA

"Babies’ skin is less mature compared to adults, and infants have a higher surface-area to body-weight ratio compared to older children and adults,” explains Sachs. “Both these factors mean that an infant’s exposure to the chemicals in sunscreens may be much greater, increasing the risk of side effects from the sunscreen.”

“The best protection is to keep your baby in the shade, if possible,” Sachs says. “If there’s no natural shade, create your own with an umbrella or the canopy of the stroller.”

@NewYearNewMe18 ... What do you want to happen with this reporting an appointed SW to doggedly apply sunscreen?

PMSL!

I think the mum knows better than you, but if you like ring social services, I'd love to hear how interested they are that an olive skinned child was taken to the park and didn't get sunburnt. Bet they'll be fucking leaping all over that one OP.

I think you've manipulated the content of this thread. I very clearly said the child was out for hours without being shaded.

Not just a little play in the park without sunscreen or cover up. Hours - In the sun.

But hey, she knows better than me. Being a parent and keeping a child in direct sun exposure for hours is fine!

@Tartanscarf hmm

Tartan No, that was a top up (on my own kids)

We'd already been around the outside market and park for hours by that time.

DeltaG that's the advice in UK too. Supplements from birth if breastfed (presumably because formula contains v it D) and from 6 months otherwise.

And dilly The OP has said this baby was not kept out of the sun at all and others are advocating allowing their babies to be in the sun as they need the vitamin D etc. That's not what this US advice means.

That’s a load of crap about Australia. You can easily get burnt at 9am in summer. Might not be the case if you’ve got an olive complexion, but that’s not the case for many, and there’s a reason we have the second highest rate of skin cancer in the world.

She’s a fool, OP, but there’s nothing more you can do.

Sunscreen is not recommded for babies.

Very young babies yes. But older babies are more likely to be crawling/moving about so protecting their skin in sun is just sensible.

From about 6 months it's fine to apply suncream. There are plenty of creams
for young/sensitive skin.

FFS. How many times. THE AIR TEMPERATURE IS IRRELEVANT as to whether you should wear sunscreen.

Can we not just keep them out of the sun - ie shaded? Isn't a tan sun damaged skin?

There is a fine line with what is too much sun? We want them to have vitamin d but its so hard to gauge when it turns to dangerous burning. As a ginger and being burnt as a child, my children we kept out of it. Also a growth removed from my face. No deficiency here.

And dilly The OP has said this baby was not kept out of the sun at all and others are advocating allowing their babies to be in the sun as they need the vitamin D etc. That's not what this US advice means.

I know what the advice means. I was posting in reply to the poster who was getting judgy about someone not wanting to put sunscreen on babies.

I haven't seen anyone advocating putting babies in the sun? Older children for short periods, yes, but not babies.

If the person in the OP really did leave a baby in full sun for hours that is wrong but he/she didn't get burned so I'm not sure that there are any people who would be interested. All the Op Can do is talk to the mother in a calm, non judgemental way and explain the advice.

this whole thread makes me sad... I am about to be 57 - and very glad to be reaching that age, having had 2 melanomas, my first aged 26 and my 2nd aged 52. I am about to get another derm referal for 3 more suspect patches.

FFS, people, USE THE BLOODY SUN CREAM ON YOUR KIDS!!

I never use sunscreens nor use it on the children. They will wear a hat and tshirt if out in the sun in the middle of the day . They need their vitamin D and they tan beautifully even the fair skinned ones.
People seem to think as soon as sun touches the skin theres skin cancer coming.

And thanks to Dilly for posting info on it

@Nettleskeins so glad you don't know anyone with skin cancer. Sadly, living in NZ, everyone knows someone who has....

@ItalianOne

Fair-skinned people do not 'tan beautifully' without sun protection. They just don't, there isn't enough melanin in the skin and the result is sunburn.

If the person in the OP really did leave a baby in full sun for hours that is wrong

I agree but the thread seems to be going a very different way with most people going on about vitamin D etc. The OP said it was a baby who was out in the sun for several hours. We have no reason to doubt her and even if you do doubt her it's a mumsnet thread not a court of law.

oh gosh italianone post straight after mine.... FFS I do wonder about people sometimes... but yes I guess that a golden skin is beautiful and therefore that's all that matters.

They need their vitamin D and they tan beautifully even the fair skinned ones

Ffs It's not a beautiful tan it's skin damage. Buy some fucking vitamin D supplements and protect your kids from cancer!!!!!

We have dark skin in my family, my grandparents especially so, but they always shaded us from the sun, especially around midday.
Yes we all need vitamin D but this comes from daylight not just 'sunshine'.
There is a reason southern Europeans have siesta

You sound like the SIL from hell.

A friend of ours has stage 4 melanoma; this means he will die within 5 years. It has spread to his brain, lymph system and bowel. PLEASE EVERYONE LOOK AFTER YOUR SKIN AND FORGET THE HEALTH TAN!!