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For most of us, half of the sun exposure that we will ever get in our lives will happen before the age of 18.

And among children, incidents of skin cancer are on the rise.

“The rates are increasing, period, for every age group, at every level,” says Dr. Louis Rapkin, a Pediatric Oncologist at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

An article published in the journal, Pediatric Dermatology, is urging pediatricians to do more – to educate children and their families about skin cancers and their prevention.

According to new research, less than one percent of pediatricians talk to parents about skin cancer during medical check-ups – even though their patients are the most at risk.

“Because most of us don’t burn that badly as adults,” says Dr. Rapkin. “The time we really tend to burn a lot is when we’re kids, and we’re not really protected. There is more intense sun exposure these days. We’ve all heard about the ozone layer and other natural defenses breaking down. So there’s higher amounts of radiation making it to the earth’s surface.”

Statistics show that primary school children receive more sun exposure than adolescents.

And the experts say educating both children and their parents about skin cancer prevention cannot come soon enough.

So, again, it’s a culture mind-set,” says Dr. Rapkin. “It needs to start in childhood, where, anytime a child goes out who’s 3, 4, 6, 10, they go and they automatically reach for the sunscreen, and their parent automatically puts it on.”

What We Need To Know

• Schedule most outdoor activities in shaded areas – or, if in the sun, either in the early morning or late afternoon. The sun is strongest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Skin Cancer Foundation)




• Have children wear sunscreen, with an SPF of 15 or higher, as well as a hat and protective clothing when outdoors. (Cancerwise – produced by The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center)




• Put on sunscreen at least 20 minutes before going outside. Sunscreen takes at least 20 minutes to absorb into the skin. (The Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation)




• Keep infants one year or younger out of direct sunlight, as much as possible. According to research, skin damage more than doubles from age six months to 18 months. A bad sunburn in an infant can have lifelong consequences. (The Shade Foundation)

Resources

• American Academy of Dermatology




• The American Cancer Society




• Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – Cancer Prevention and Control

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