Most of us Midwesterners have been bundled up all winter. A sunny get-away over spring break can provide kids the kind of intermittent sun exposure that leads to sunburn.

The amount of sunburn your children get now, before they turn 18, increases their risk for skin cancer, particularly melanoma.

Did you know that only one, severe sunburn in childhood can more than double the chances of skin cancer developing in adulthood?  With every sunburn comes a decrease in the skin’s natural ability to protect itself and an exponentially higher likelihood that skin disease will occur later in life.

Keep your kids burn-free this spring:

1. Make sure your sun safety practices are age appropriate.
2. Choose the right sunscreen.
3. Find the right sunglasses.
4. Pick the safest time and the place.
5. Skip the tanning bed!

You can help our Indy community be sun smart too.

• Teach your kids a fun sun safety game to play with their friends!
• Help your child’s school be sunwise. Learn about guidelines for school programs that strive to prevent skin cancer.
• Babies, with their delicate skin, are particularly vulnerable sun exposure. Each year, HealthNet Health Promotions offers Baby Be Sun Smart, a sun education program for mothers of newborns. This year, we hope to distribute 750 sun safety kits to HealthNet moms of babies between 0-3 months at well-baby visits. Moms receive a sand bucket filled with a bilingual sun safety education flyer, a hand-made baby bonnet, and a small bottle of sunscreen.

Want to help a mom who can’t afford sunscreen for her baby? A donation of $75 will provide sunscreen for 75 sun safety kits.  Thanks for making a difference in our community!

Each year, HealthNet’s Health Promotions partners with IU Health Cancer Prevention Services to offer Baby Be Sun Smart. This program is designed to provide mothers of newborns with the education necessary to prevent harmful sun exposure to their growing child.

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, 54 percent of children burn or tan in their second summer, and 22 percent burn in their first. Parents need to be extra vigilant about sun protection at all times.  But keeping your children safe from the sun is sometimes not easy when you don’t have the financial means to purchase sunscreen. The Baby Be Sun Smart program not only provides educational materials, but also provides the proper sunscreen to give to parents to help get them started.

Part of the education process is to inform parents that infants under 6 months of age should be kept out of the sun. Their skin is too sensitive for sunscreen at this point, but other means of sun protection are covered by our providers such as:

• Use removable mesh window shields to keep direct sunlight from coming in through the windows of your car.
• Take walks before 10:00 a.m. or after 4:00 p.m. and use a stroller with a sun-protective cover.
• Choose a wide-brimmed hat or bonnet that protects the baby’s face, neck, and ears.

Our other goal is to distribute 750 sun safety kits to HealthNet parents of babies between 0 and 3 years who come in for well-baby visits starting Memorial Day. The kit is a sand bucket filled with bilingual sun safety information, a hand-made baby bonnet and a small bottle of sunscreen for those children 6 months and older.

Starting in April, we are hosting a sunscreen drive to collect 750 travel-size bottles to complete the sun safety kits. The sunscreen should be:

• Broad-spectrum UVA and UVB
• SPF 30 or higher
• Tear-free formulas and waterproof
• Pocket-sized – 3 ounces

“With a little effort and planning, it’s easy for young children to enjoy the outdoors safely,” says Dr. Robins. “Parents need to make it a priority and to also lead by example.” – www.skincancer.org

To donate a bottle of sunscreen or to make a cash donation for our staff to purchase these items for our sun safety kits, click here. If you would like to host a sunscreen drive at your church or workplace, please contact Jane Meyer at 317-781-4978.