Australia has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world and overexposure to the sun in childhood is known to be a major cause of skin cancer in later life. Young people are particularly susceptible to sun damage as they have very little of the pigment, melanin, in their skin to protect them from sunburn. We can work to reduce the risk of children developing skin cancer in later life by adopting some simple, sensible sun protection measures in early
childhood. These measures will hopefully teach children good sun habits for life and will help keep them safe in the powerful Australian sun. In order to meet the licensing and accreditation standards set by ACECQA, childcare providers are required to have a sun protection policy. This policy will probably be based on information from a local state or territory such as the Cancer Council. According
to the Cancer Council a sun protection policy should clearly outline a child care service's policies and procedures with regard to protecting children at the centre from UV radiation including:
As with all policy and procedure documents your child care provider's sun protection policy should be available for you to review at any time. The Cancer Council identifies the five main ways child care providers should work to protect children from the effects of the sun as follows: 1. Minimise the time spent outdoors during peak UV periods From April to September outdoor activity can take place at any time during the day and protective clothing, hats and sunscreen are required between 10am and 2pm except in June and July when UV radiation tends to be lower. Please note there are some exceptions to this rule depending on which part of the country your service is located. 2. Use shade for outdoor play 3. Use the right hat
Recommended hats for adults are:
Baseball caps and sun visors are not recommended as they don't protect the neck, ears and cheeks. Many child care providers supply hats but if yours doesn't make sure you select one from the list of recommendations above. 4. Wear protective clothing Recommended clothes include: loose fitting shirts or dresses with collars and sleeves, trousers, long skirts and shorts. 5. Apply SPF50+ broad spectrum sun screen before going outside Child care providers should use a sunscreen that:
In addition to these well known measures the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists recently called for a change to the 'No Hat, No Play' rule for children in primary schools to now include sunglasses. This suggestion is supported by the Cancer Council which says that UV radiation to the eyes is not only a concern for hot summer days: "The level of UV exposure to the eyes is highly dependent on the angle of sunlight reaching the eyes, which is influenced by time of day and time of year. The eye receives direct UV radiation when facing the sun with the sun low in the sky, however reflected and scattered light also have a strong impact in contributing to the total UV exposure to the eyes. Exposure also depends on facial geometry, with the brows and nose blocking some UV radiation at certain times of day.” What your service may ask you to do to protect your child from the sun
References SunSmart ACT What are the 5 sun protection measures?For the best protection, use all five SunSmart steps:. Slip on covering clothing. Choose clothing that covers as much skin as possible, for example, collared shirts with long sleeves. ... . Slop on SPF 30 (or higher) broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen. ... . Slap on a hat. ... . Seek shade. ... . Slide on some sunglasses.. How can we protect our sun for kids?How to Protect Kids from the Sun. Use “broad spectrum” sunscreen. ... . Limit time in the sun. ... . Use extra protection for babies less than 6 months. ... . Dress yourself and your child in protective clothing. ... . Reapply sunscreen often! ... . Set a good example.. How can I protect my baby from sun outside?Infant sun protection: How to keep your baby safe. Keep your baby in the shade.. Dress your baby in sun-protective clothing, such as a lightweight, long-sleeved shirt and pants.. Minimize sunscreen use on children younger than six months old.. Stay safe on hot days.. |