I would like you ALL to read this blog before the hot weather, and make sure your children are protected

[sausagepastie]

Sarah Toller

This is something I have been reading for almost a year since my best friend was diagnosed with melanoma.

I don't want anyone not to know the dangers of sun exposure in children, because it's in the earliest years of childhood that the seeds for melanoma are sown.

It's such a common cancer in the 20s and 30s, and even in the teens. People need to protect their kids, NOW, and still I see children with sunburn every summer.

Please read as much as you can - the story is heartbreaking, but so powerful. I think Sarah would want as many people to see it as possible.

Thankyou.

it seems theres C is everywhere ......no wonder im a nervouse wreck most of the time .....

i guess we all have to be vigelent with everything ....skin , breasts , bowels , the lot .....

sorry for bad spelling ...

The play area sounds great, wish we could build one for our garden!

It's always a good idea to remember that something gets us all in the end...whether it be cancer, crossing the road, or just getting old. There's only so much we can do to prevent any of this stuff.

But I do think people need to prevent their kids getting burnt - I never used to think it was important, I got burned a few times as a child, thought it was just one of those things..it's not, and there but for the grace of God go I, right now.

I do agree that we need to get things into perspective. There are awareness campaigns these days for all sorts of cancers - bowel, prostate, breast, ovarian, cervical and skin in particular. It's enough to make anyone paranoid that they are at imminent risk of death. In fact, we'd be very unlucky to die at an early age from any of these. Yes, we would be at a considerably greater risk if we used to peel the burnt skin off our backs and noses all summer throughout our childhoods. But even if we did get burnt as children, it doesn't guarantee we will get skin cancer - we'd still be unlucky. Keeping an eye on your moles and what is normal for your skin is obviously sensible, just as checking your breasts is sensible. Avoiding getting sunburnt is also extremely sensible (you'd have to be really stupid to think it's OK to get burnt). Worrying about the tiniest change in skin tone, or the appearance of every freckle on your child's nose in the summer, though, is taking it too far, in my opinion, since there are clear dangers in getting too little sun, also. And no-one knows for certain what the risks of long-term suncream use are (there are an awful lot of chemicals being put on and to a certain extent absorbed by the skin in these products - even the sunblocks, like zinc oxide, are now in such tiny particles within the cream that there is a possibility that these can now be absorbed a little bit, rather than just sitting on the skin). So, I will continue to use suncream occasionally and let my child get out in the sun without the stuff on occasionally as I see fit and will not allow my life to be ruled by too many what-ifs.

And did you know that drinking very hot drinks can increase your risk of throat cancer?...

Off for a nice hot cup of coffee, now, which I may not leave to cool down, first.

Good for you, Rabbitstew...that's great.

I don't think you do have to be 'really stupid' not to realise how much of a risk sunburn is, though. Uneducated, yes, which is where this thread comes in...

A dear friend of mine died recently of melanoma. It was horrible, so I'm happy to get all Mumsnetty about protecting my children if it means they'll never go through what she went through.

I am not really worried about my children getting rickets from lack of Vitamin D. Sure, there is a theoretical risk, but I don't think it's likely.

TFL I'm really sorry to hear that. It's such an awful way to go, I know...I never realised, thought it was be fairly simple, somehow, not like the reality at all

May I ask if she was quite young?

not that it really matters, does it - sorry. Dying from cancer at any age is a tragedy.

Well perhaps you might be more concerned about colon cancer and MS and Parkinsons, all of which have links with lack of vitamin D.

I give my children vitamin D tablets although we live below the 'safe' level of sunshine for Britain (runs somewhere round Luton) because I am so worried about this.

Vitamin D has also been shown to play a role in boosting immunity to flu.

So if you're smothering your child in sunblock there's more at stake than just rickets.

TheFirstLady, I think you really are missing the point about vitamin D deficiency. Although rickets is no longer a thing of the past, because of our renewed awareness of the dangers of the sun, there are an awful lot of other long term problems that vitamin D deficiency can cause. For one, it is vital in the absorption of calcium, and therefore in protection from the development of osteoporosis. If you're talking genuine risk, we all have a far greater risk of osteoporosis as we get older than skin cancer. My family are all fair skinned, covered in moles and blue eyed. No-one in my family has ever had any form of skin cancer, but osteoporosis is a big issue in the family.

ps sorry, sausagepastie, you are quite right, you wouldn't be stupid to think getting burnt is OK, unless you'd been told of the risks and still let it happen.

thanks Rabbit.

Indeed, vitamin D deficiency has also been tentatively linked to the development of melanoma.

It's one of those things where we are all anxious, and nobody knows the real right answer, and the govt keeps changing its mind.

A bit like MMR - we are all in the dark and shouldn't take chunks out of each other. There needs to be more guidance, really.

although...it wouldn't contraindicate to take vit D supplements at the same time as using sun lotion - would it? Covering all angles so to speak

No harm in that - although we don't know whether sunlight is only useful in terms of vitamin D production, or whether there is some additional benefit!...

There is at least one thing we can all be sure of - we are all going to die. What a jolly thought.

But getting burnt and getting no sun at all are 2 completely different ends of a spectrum.
What I hope this thread is pointing out that if your children are going to be out in the hot sun for any length of time, you must put on cream. and if they are going to be at school in hot sun all day then you need a lasting cream.
No-one is saying 'No Sun At All' or 'No SUncream' just that we make sure children (or adults) don't get burnt and are a bit less blase about slathering ourselves in oil (as I used to do).

There are so many awareness campaigns purely because we now know what causes illnesses. Information overload is not always a good thing sometimes.