Tanned baby

[redredbrine]

My son is under the age of 1 and is currently sporting a tan. He is mixed race (1/4 black, 3/4 white) and was covered in factor 30 on a day when it was 21 degrees Celsius. I chose factor 30 as the UV index was low and wanted to avoid factor 50 due to the chemicals - would only use if it was going to be very hot.

One of my friends went off on a rant at me. Apparently I'm increasing my son's risk of skin cancer, should've used factor 50 and it's awful for a child to have a tan.

AIBU to think that it's fine that he tanned because he has sun cream on and he just went a tiny bit darker? It wasn't intentional or like I was shoving him out in the sun on purpose for this reason...

Irrespective of his tone it’s still not ideal.

Use it as a learning curve and keep him in the shade/covered with clothes etc.

You should have kept him in the shade really. Babies skin is very delicate.

It’s not great but we all make mistakes, that’s just parenting.

It's verging on impossible to keep a mobile baby who won't wear a hat in the shade at a playground 😥

Then don’t go to a playground on hot days!

Pick places with plenty of shade, or go to the playground first thing.

My youngest is permanently tanned even if covered in factor 50. Whenwe ski we put factor 50 on her face and she has goggle eyes. When she was 8months we went to Spain in September she was covered in sun cream, inside between 12 and 2 or 3 and we even took a blow up paddling pool with a sun canopy which we used to fill with a little water for her to play in (she was walking) still got a tan - she just tans so quickly and easily - even factor 50 might not have stopped it

If you really can't keep him in the shade, you need to make sure he's dressed appropriately. It sounds like your friend did the right thing in telling you what they did.

It was of course rude if her to rant.

But she is of course correct.

A tan is a sign if your skin responding to damage.

The strength of the sun is not related to how hot it feels.

Everything is made up of chemicals. If there are particular ingredients you particularly want to avoid, then loook for a formulation which does not contain them. There is no reason whatsoever, based in ingredients, to avoid factor 50 when you are happy to use factor 30, hough there may be some brands you wish to avoid (depending on what ingredient you wish to avoid)

Hmm surely babies in hot countries are tanned to an extent? It's surely almost impossible to keep a baby completely out of the sun?

My two have both had very slight tans from holidays as 1 year olds despite religiously applying factor 50 hourly and being shaded as much as possible

I dunno I disagree a little bit, I lived in a hot country when mine were little and they were covered in factor 50. They still got a tan because it was 20-40 degrees all year round. We couldn’t avoid the sun! Wear sun protection, avoid the sun at the hottest part of the day and get a tie on hat if needed but you can’t not go outside!

Is it a big tan or a little tan? I always use factor 50 but then DD is ghost white. Just use 50 next time but he's not burnt so no drama.

I'd say any skin colouration is skin damage BUT, while I know this sounds unlikely, my dd has different skin from the rest of us and goes a different colour very quickly even with suncream on (in conditions where ds with same cream, hat, shirt, exposure etc) stays pale and I have had many comments about it over the years. My doctor said she just has a high sensitivity to sunlight and it's her skin's natural protection. I never go in the sun as I had very bad sunstroke as a teen and am very sensitive to this issue. Definitely don't put your baby in the sun, do use clothes, hats, SPF50 etc but some skin does tan very easily.

Presumably if he’s mixed race he’s likely to tan more than a Caucasian baby and will hopefully have slightly more resilience to the sun. As long as you weren’t out for hours and he did have sun cream on I really wouldn’t beat yourself up. I took my one year old to Italy last summer- she had factor 50 on applied constantly, covered shoulders, full cover swim suits UV50 and was kept in the shade and still came home with a nappy tan that looked like a bikini tan. Most kids are vitamin d deficient due to our OTT parenting so really don’t worry

The zinc total sun block works but it is a very thick paste and brings her out in a rash so doctor advised just 50 with a good rating reapplied often but she still tans.

I don't have a view on the issue at hand, but 'Tanned Baby' would be a great band name.

'It's verging on impossible to keep a mobile baby who won't wear a hat in the shade at a playground'

Than change the time of day you go to the playground. And tel, your child that there is no playtime at all if no hat. And remove her every single time the hat comes off.

Some things related to health should be non-negotiable.

I know that sounds a bit strident, and I can (now) see why your friend might have ended up ranting. Woman up! You are responsible for your child's wellbeing, and some battles are worth having. Sun safety being one of them.

I think it’s fine- as long as he wasn’t burnt and it sounds like he tans easily- at least he won’t get rickets!

My brother has very tanned skin. We are white but on his half mile walk to work he'll have obvious tan lines straight away, my sister is the same. We went to the beach on holiday (only woolacombe) on a cold cloudy day, everyone slathered in sun cream because uv rays were high, both still tanned. I think some people just do even with sun cream!

I use factor 50 on mine and they still tan. Some people just have skin that tans easily.

He needs some sun for vitamin D. Sounds great me to me.

I'm with you, all of my DCs have easily tanned. Even with factor 50. We're an outdoors type of family and they all spend most of the summer either in the swimming pool or at the beach. None of them have ever been burnt.

Skihound same here and it is weird as if you saw my dd you'd probably think I'd not been vigilant.

Wow, you're doing fine! Can't believe the responses on here. Factor 30 is fine!

Black and Indian babies are usually lighter skinned until they are over 2 because parents are really careful about sun damage. Factor 50, not taking kids out during the hottest part of the day, covering them up is really important because unlike white babies darker babies are much more likely to suffer permanent skin colour and texture changes due to sun damage.

I agree with you OP. My son is mixed and is also tanned after the recent weather. He's been covered in factor 50, had a sun hat and kept in around midday but he seems to be like me in that he can tan in minutes.
I asked the GP once and he said that I was taking reasonable precautions. He also reminded me that black children can often be deficient in Vit D and some sun would be good for him.
The sun cream increases the time it is safe for you to be out in sunshine but can't stop you developing a tan. If your skin is already higher in melanin you will tan faster.
Just my personal opinion but other than keeping my child in at all times I don't seem to be able to stop his skin from going darker in the summer. I do worry about it though