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Old 04-12-2010, 12:55 PM
 
118 posts, read 138,180 times
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My mother placed me as a baby in the sun for hours at a time (I was born in Los Angeles) because she felt the sun was healthy. Growing up my family was very sun-oriented we never put on sun screen even when we went to tropical places and spent all day in the sun. Now as an adult I find it almost impossible to burn, even if I lay on the beach in Hawaii the best Ill get is some red on the nose and ears (I never wear sun screen). I'm not very dark as an Serbian-American but do have an olive complexion. I have noticed that people even several shades darker than me burn more easily and I think this all goes back to my childhood and being exposed to the sun. I don't know of any family members who had skin cancer and we are a generally very healthy family.

Fast forward and I suggested doing this with my child but my gf won't have it. She considers it child abuse and says a babies skin is too thin to be exposed to the sun. While I know this I think that exposure to the sun will eventually be good for the child like it was for me. I remind her that people in the past didn't have sun screen. I know what most American dermatologists will say but I also know what dermatologists will say in the Caribbean and Serbia and it'll be less along the lines of the sun is a killer and we must slather up on the sun screen. Her family even seems less healthier than mine and I think part of it's related to worse nutrition which the sun is a part. For example all the men in my family are above 6' and have muscular frames whereas none of the men in her family are and all have skinny frames. I'm 6'6" and ~250lbs with a 34" waist. Her brother is 5"10" and 150lbs. Plus it seems diseases run in her family like IBD, allergies, and arthritis which is unheard of mine. I think this is all due to the typical American mentality of baby-proofing and insulating the child from natural elements. So who is right in your opinion.

Last edited by StefanProgovac; 04-12-2010 at 01:08 PM..
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Old 04-12-2010, 01:07 PM
 
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I think that too much (or too little) of anything is not a good thing. If we're going to be on the Florida beach for a day, then we put on sunscreen. If we're going to be playing in the backyard for an hour, then not so much. Vitamin D is good for you, but sunburn is not. I'm not huge on slathering the kids or myself with sunscreen, because I don't like rubbing chemicals all over our bodies... with that said, I do take precautions so that we don't burn. I would not put sunscreen on a baby at all, but would not let them lay out in the sun either... going for a walk before 10 or after 3 on a sunny day is okay... but if we went to the beach when the kids were babies, then they'd wear floppy hats and stay under an umbrella, for the most part.
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Old 04-12-2010, 01:12 PM
 
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Babies have a hard time regulating their internal temperatures, so they should never have extended time in the sun. A walk on a nice day? Sure.

When I saw the title of this thread all I could think of was how my babies sneezed whenever they went in the sun.
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Old 04-12-2010, 01:19 PM
 
118 posts, read 138,180 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mattie View Post
Babies have a hard time regulating their internal temperatures, so they should never have extended time in the sun. A walk on a nice day? Sure.

When I saw the title of this thread all I could think of was how my babies sneezed whenever they went in the sun.
I heard this too but then babies are born in places like SouthEast Asia, Africa, South America and the Caribbean in environments without aircon and they get by fine. I think the average baby is hardier than we give it credit for. Obviously keep an eye on the baby and make sure it's hydrated.

I also don't agree that mild (emphasis here) sunburn is bad. I think it's good and I think exposing a baby to sun sort of primes it for the sun for latter adulthood.
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Old 04-12-2010, 02:20 PM
 
Location: Utah
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Skin cancer is supposed to be the most preventable form of cancer...so to me, it is a no-brainer.

I have 2 neighbors, one in the late 60's & the other over 70, who grew up on farms. They lived a farmer's lifestyle which meant being outdoors every day. Now they both have skin cancer.

I do agree that people need to spend time in the sun!
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Old 04-12-2010, 02:37 PM
 
118 posts, read 138,180 times
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Originally Posted by lolagranola View Post
Skin cancer is supposed to be the most preventable form of cancer...so to me, it is a no-brainer.

I have 2 neighbors, one in the late 60's & the other over 70, who grew up on farms. They lived a farmer's lifestyle which meant being outdoors every day. Now they both have skin cancer.

I do agree that people need to spend time in the sun!
It could be genetic but literally none of my family, even extended have developed skin cancer and we are almost without fail sun people. I have family in the Caribbean and south America, they don't use sun screen and I never heard an incident of skin cancer. Of course we aren't really pale but we aren't really dark either.

On the other hand I have known quite some people who don't go in the sun regularly but when they do (like vacation) they burn every time and these people seem to develop skin cancer most often. I think (not sure) that if these people were exposed to more sun in their childhood they would have a harder time burning in adulthood as well as a diminished risk developing skin cancer.

Afterall this skin cancer thing seems to be exploding lately. We didn't use to have sun block nor were we as likely to have jobs putting us indoors. It seems we get less sun now (more/better sunblock, more time indoors) but skin cancer is more prevalent.
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Old 04-12-2010, 03:12 PM
 
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I had read somewhere that sunblock is actually a culprit in folks getting cancer. What I had read said that the body needs the vitamin D that comes from the sun to help ward off illnesses and diseases, one of which is cancer. Sunblock prevents the body from absorbing the vitamin D. Now this is not to say that sunblock shouldn't be used, the article I had read recommended that a person get a half an hour to an hour of sun each day without sunblock to give the body enough exposure to the sun to get the daily requirement of vitamin D, then sunblock can be applied afterwards if the person was to be out in the sun any longer.

Vitamin D is what is needed to help the body absorb or break down other nutrients like calcium. Along with a surge of cancer lately, there is also a rise in osteoporosis. and diabetes.

While typing this I did a little searching on the internet and found this interesting tidbit about sunlight exposure and the body's need for vitamin D.

Vitamin D myths, facts and statistics

This site also gives some interesting info about the need for vtamin D and how a person can obtain enough each day. Note that sun exposure is the best way to get vitamin D.

What You Need to Know About Vitamin D - MSN Health & Fitness - Nutrient Library (http://health.msn.com/nutrition/nutrient-library/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100218864 - broken link)
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Old 04-12-2010, 04:08 PM
 
4,796 posts, read 22,850,263 times
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You are both right and wrong. You both have some weird ideas about health--skin thickness is dangerous, and sun exposure cures arthritis??? Talk about old wives tales and urban myths. Jeez.

Sun exposure is a fickle thing. Rickets (caused by vitamin D deficiency) is in fact on the rise because of lack of un-sunscreened exposure. And there are many other benefits of vitamin D that won't become apparent until your child is middle-aged like muscle weakness, exhaustion, etc. Yet over-exposure is dangerous too--which will also not become apparent until your child becomes much older. Even if your daughter never burns, her skin can still be damaged by over-exposure. And it is possible to overdose on Vitamin D, which can lead to digestive problems, kidney failure, and even mental retardation or impairment.

Furthermore, you have to separate the benefits of direct sunlight from fresh air. Fresh air is widely known to have therapeutic benefits. Fresh air boosts mood, improves immunity, and regulates melatonin production and other brain chemicals. Hospital patients stay on average 5 days less when they are in a room with an operable window, than those who have no fresh air. But that is the AIR, not the sun's rays, that are causing that benefit. And of course children who are encouraged to spend time outdoors are generally more active and fit than those who are kept indoors. But again this isn't SUNLIGHT that is the benefit, it is the room to run around and availability of engaging play. Likely your mother didn't lay you out in the baking hot direct sun for a full day. More likely she popped you down on a blanket under a tree for a half hour or so while she hung out the wash. Much different.

The cumulative medical research indicates that an average adult should receive direct mid-day sunlight approximately for only fifteen minutes, two times a week to receive the proper amount of Vitamin D. For your baby, a few minutes a day is plenty. Your daughter can also receive health benefits indirectly. As I said above, fresh air is enormously beneficial, but shaded fresh air is fine to receive this benefit. For the sun exposure and Vitamin D production your daughter needs, thinner clothing like gauzy cottons allow sunlight to pass through without the harsh UV rays. Partly cloudy days, dappled sunlight under a tree, and exposure during off-peak time are also useful ways of getting sunlight exposure while minimizing the risks.
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Old 04-12-2010, 04:11 PM
 
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I grew up without suntan lotion. We were encouraged to use baby oil and iodine - then lie out in the sun on plastic chairs for hours. I still burn badly within minutes of being in the sun. Everyone in my family is the same way. None of them have skin cancer.

My husband and I come from long lines of smokers. Only one incidence of cancer in a traceable line, but that was dh's only non-smoking grandmother. She died at the age of 67.

That doesn't mean I'm going to put a cigarette in my 10 year old's hands. But to each their own.

I just wish we'd get rid of these laws protecting people from the natural order of things. Let stupid die out, ya know?!
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Old 04-12-2010, 04:52 PM
 
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When my son was born, he was jaundiced. His doctor told me to put him in sunlight, as it is exactly what the UV lights in the hospital are. It was dead winter, so I put son in the sunlight that came in our patio door while he was sleeping in the daytime.

I think there needs to be some common sense when it comes to sunscreen. Same thing with sugar, food introduction, exposure to (gasp ) dirt. I have never been a sickly person, even though I was only four pounds at birth. I was as rough and tumble as my older brother. My first bed was a clothes basket. No SIDS for me. Not saying we should ignore child safety... but come on... use a little common sense and don't insulate a child (emotionally or physically) so much that they are frail adults.
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