Mum issues urgent holiday warning after five-week-old daughter gets severe sunburn in the SHADE
A MUM has urged parents to extra vigilant this summer after her five-week-old daughter got severely sunburnt while in the shade.
Kasey Schwartz was relaxing by the pool with little Sydney under a parasol for several hours without realising the damage it was doing to her tot.
It wasn’t until the afternoon that she noticed the youngster was looking a little red in the face.
As time passed, her cheeks got redder and redder, and “panic” set in.
A quick call to her doctor confirmed Sydney was sunburnt – despite not being in direct sunlight.
The paediatrician said harmful rays had reflected off the swimming pool water and onto the newborn.
Writing on her blog All Things Mamma, Kasey said: “I was sick. I felt horrible and I had no idea how it happened.
“I’m this baby’s mum and I’m supposed to keep her safe and secure.”
The mum-of-three, who lives in a small Midwest town with her children and husband Brian, visited her pals in August 2012.
But her warning is just as relevant today as many parents likely still believe their little ones are safe if they’re in the shade.
Kasey, mum to Ella, 16, Andrew, 14, and now-10-year-old Sydney, said: “Think your baby can’t sunburn in the shade? They can.
“Our friends invited us to their house for a birthday party and an afternoon of swimming and eating.
“To my surprise, Sydney had a great day. She was scooped up by our friend and was immediately asleep.
“We spent the day poolside under an umbrella in complete shade.
“It was the most relaxed I had been since Sydney was born.”
But as the weather got warmer and they headed inside, Kasey noticed the colour of her daughter’s cheeks.
“I started to panic a little, wondering what was going on,” she said.
“Then it was getting more apparent that she may be sunburnt.
“But, how?! She was under the huge shade umbrella all day.
“People take their babies to parks and beaches and walk around with them in strollers – how could she be sunburnt?
“But she was sunburnt for sure. You could see the line on her cheek where the sun didn’t get to and it was clear.”
I felt horrible and I had no idea how it happened.
Kasey Schwartz
Thankfully, Sydney wasn’t showing signs of too much discomfort – but her skin was “getting redder by the minute”.
A friend suggested that the sun might have reflected off the water onto Sydney’s face over the three hours they had been outside, and a doctor agreed.
“It never once crossed my mind or any of the other adult’s minds at the party that would happen,” Kasey said.
“I just couldn’t believe it, but that had to be it.”
The blogger was advised to keep her baby comfortable and watch out for any signs of fever, dehydration, blisters and pain.
She suffered from more redness and some peeling, but this cleared up within a few days.
Kasey now wants other parents to learn from her own mistake.
She said: “Now I’m extremely conscious of watching where the sun is and how its rays may be on my baby.
“I don’t think this will ever happen again to us, but I want to spread this caution to others.
“As crazy as it sounds, it can happen as it did with me.”
Skin cancer awareness charity SKCIN echoed Kasey’s warning, urging mums and dads to take extra care this summer.
CEO Marie Tudor said: “As this parent found, babies and children, especially if sitting poolside or on the beach, can fall victim to the sun’s harmful rays being reflected off water.
“Light coloured concrete and sand back onto their face or body, despite being sat in the shade under a sunshade or umbrella.
“It is essential to protect the delicate skin of babies and children by covering them with UV protective clothing, a wide brimmed sun hat and ideally an SPF50 sunscreen formulated for children’s delicate and sensitive skin.”
How to keep your baby safe in the sun
BABIES and young children can become ill during very hot weather.
Their health can be seriously affected by:
- Dehydration
- Heat exhaustion and heatstroke
- Sunburn
The NHS recommends keeping youngsters cool and protecting them from the sun as much as possible.
- Babies under six months should be kept out of direct sunlight
- Older babies should also be kept out of the sun as much as possible, particularly between 11am and 3pm
- Apply sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 and UVA and UVB protection
- Ensure your child wears a hat with a wide brim or a long flap at the back
- Keep adults, babies and young children hydrated with plenty of fluids
- Playing in paddling pools is a good way to staying cool
- Run youngsters a cool bath before bedtime
- Close blinds and curtains during the day to keep bedrooms cool
- Keep nightwear and bedclothes to a minimum
- Use a nursery thermometer to monitor the temperature of your baby’s room
Source: NHS