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Cover-up Clothing for Sun Safety
A sunny day can be a health hazard to a young child. Severe sunburns in childhood have been linked to the development of skin cancer later in life. Childcare programs can adopt simple sun safety practices to help protect children from the sun.
This article, the second in a three-part series on sun safety, provides suggestions for protecting children with cover-up clothing, wide-brimmed hats, and sunglasses. Taking these simple precautions to protect skin and eyes from the sun should be on the minds of childcare providers, parents, and children every day.
Cover Up with Clothing
If children have to be outside during peak sun intensity hours (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.), clothing and sunglasses can be the ideal sun precautions. They provide a physical sunblock that doesn't wash or wear off. However, not all clothing provides the same amount of sun protection. Three major factors affect the sun protective quality of clothing:
Style
Clothes designed to cover the most skin provide the most protection. Long-sleeved shirts with collars, long pants, and shoes and socks provide more coverage than tank tops, T-shirts, shorts, and sandals. Choose clothes that cover more skin.
Weave
Fabrics with a tight weave between the threads block more sunlight than loosely woven fabrics. Fewer, smaller holes between the threads allow less ultraviolet radiation to pass through to the skin. Choose clothes made of tightly-constructed fabrics.
To test your clothing, hold the fabric about six-eight inches from your eyes toward a light source. Look through the fabric for pinpoints of light coming through the holes. If visible light can pass through, so can invisible ultraviolet light.
Many fabrics block UV rays, but only some clothing is labeled with a UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) number to show its sun protective value. UPF is similar to SPF (Sun Protection Factor) except that SPF means the UV-testing was done on people. By FDA rules, sunscreens must be tested on people to show their ability to prevent sunburn. Fabric is tested with special reflectance equipment. If labeled as sun-protective, the clothing usually has a UPF between 15 and 30+.
Color
Lighter colors of fabrics feel cooler because they reflect infrared light, but darker colors absorb harmful ultraviolet light better and provide more protection for the skin. Choose dark-colored clothes.
Hats are Wearable Shade
Clothing protects only the skin that it covers. To protect the face, head, neck, ears, and eyes, children should wear hats for outdoor play. Wide-brimmed hats provide approximately 50 percent protection from direct sunlight. Hats with at least a three-inch brim all around or legionnaire-style hats with a flap in the back provide the best protection. Baseball hats offer some protection for the face, but do not protect the ears, cheeks and neck. However, any hat is better than no hat at all!
Sunglasses Shade Children's Eyes
Like the skin, eyes (especially blue and green eyes) can be damaged from too much sun exposure. Many sunglasses, regardless of price, provide good UVA and UVB protection, yet they are worn infrequently by young children. Encouraging children to wear sunglasses is a simple, inexpensive way to prevent cataracts, reduced vision, and even blindness later in life.
Sun protection is essential in childhood to prevent skin cancer and eye damage. Childcare centers should encourage children to wear their shade when they go out to play! To encourage children to wear cover-up clothes, hats, and sunglasses, childcare programs can:
- Model sun safety by having caregivers wear sun-protective clothes, hats, and sunglasses.
- Encourage parents to dress children in long-sleeved shirts, long pants and shoes instead of tank tops, shorts, and sandals.
- Encourage children to wear sun-safe hats and sunglasses when going outdoors.
- Direct children without cover-up clothing to play in the shade.
- Send home newsletters that contain sun safety information.
- Display posters and hand out stickers that promote sun safety.
By the American Medical Center's Cancer Research Center
Resources
AMC Cancer Research Center, "Sunny Days, Healthy Ways Program", 800-321-1557, ext. 7; www.amc.org
American Academy of Dermatology, "Block the Sun, Not the Fun Program", 847-330-0101; www.aad.org
American Cancer Society, "Slip-Slap-Slop", 800-ACS-2345; www.cancer.org
Environmental Protection Agency, "Sunwise School Program", 202-564-9096; www.epa.gov
Skin Cancer Foundation, "Sun Day News School Program", 212-725-5176; www.skincancer.org
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