Babies and sun care - he's getting a tan!

[OooohWhatIfItHurts]

I have a 7 month old baby boy and we've been enjoying this lovely summer on maternity leave and spending quite a bit of time outside - walking to get to places, trips to the park etc. I cover DS's head with a hat and use Factor 25 sun cream on any exposed bits, and don't put him in direct sunlight during the peak hours but am not terribly precious about covering the buggy completely when we go out as some of my friends are with their DCs.

The other day someone commented that DS looked as though he had a bit of a tan and I'm now worried that that's a risk. He has never burned or even gone remotely pink - he has fortunately inherited my olive skin - and we are talking golden glow rather than orange post-Barbados leatheriness. I think it's just gradual exposure to the sun seeing as we've been out so much.

I'm confused about whether this suggests he's had too much sun. My DH points out that kids in the Meditteranean must surely have a bit of exposure to the sun without it being a cancer risk but I don't want to put him at risk.

Do I need to be more careful?

My personal view is that this is fine. We have inbuilt protection in our skin that makes us tan - it's just your son's in built mechanism to protect him kicking in. And in fact, there is research now that says the drive to keep children out of the sun at all costs is doing more harm than good, leading to Vit D deficiencies for example. Children need sunshine (as do adults), just not to excess. Same as most things really.

As he's never burned, I really wouldn't worry.

My DD is like this. I put high factor sun cream on between ten and three, but she is just like me in that she changes colour very easily.

I don't see it as a risk, she has never been close to burning. We are outside from dawn till dusk so I think it is inevitable.

Thanks, that's reassuring. So as long as he isn't burning (or getting close to burning) he should be okay?

I have visions of people looking at me as I wander down the street with my golden baby...

DD1 is similar - she has DH's darker skin and, despite application of sun cream regularly, she is tanned. I too had read about incidences of rickets going up in Australia because parents are covering up their children too much. A bit of sun will not do him any harm at all!

I think when my dcs were under one i used a shade a babe on their buggies (i know, i know) as suncream isn't recommended when they are that young i now have a 4 yr old and a 2 yr old and have noticed that my four year old who is very good with cream hasnt tanned at all, ds has got slightly tanned legs i think as he does sit in the buggy and the hood doesnt offer any shade now he has longer legs.

Did read that a sun tan is sun damage but am inclined to agree with other posters expecially as DS has olive skin and care is taken. They def get vit D from sun in a much more usable way than vits. Maybe factor 30-50 is a good compromise and you can stay out and about

it is true that the tan itself is a sign of damage, and the skin trying to repair/protect itself. so ideally, no tan is good

BUT! I have the same problem. ds2 has been slathered with factor 30 every day, from 9-6pm and has still gone a lovely shade of brown.
neither of his brothers have though

My friend's DS is the same - she and he go lovey and brown, and me and DS look pasty sitting next to them

He's probably just inherited your skin, I wouldn't worry - lucky him!