Bugs and Sun Can't Stop Our Summer Fun!

 Your mom was right: going outside to play is good for children.  Sadly, nearly half of 3 to 5 year old children are not taken outside daily by their caretakers. American children between the ages of 8 and 18 currently spend more than four hours a day interacting with technology.  According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, outdoor play is beneficial for motor development, vision, cognition, vitamin D levels, and mental health. In spite of these manifold benefits, US children today likely spend less time playing outdoors than any previous generation.

Despite the urban environment in which we live, Chicagoans enjoy a “City in a Garden”. It is not difficult for our city children to get back to nature, although bites and sunburn can put a damper on their enjoyment of the outdoors.  Luckily, from the frequent questions we get at this time of year, it appears parents are being proactive in protecting kids from bugs and sun. Here is a rundown on what we advise:

Insect protection:

• DEET is the single most effective ingredient in topical insect repellent (remember, we are protecting against mosquitoes with West Nile Virus and ticks with Lyme disease).

The concentrations of DEET listed on product labels refer to the duration of action, not the effectiveness.  For instance, DEET 10% will last approximately 2 hours, while DEET 30% will last 5 – 6 hours. 

• These products are safe for use in infants over the age of 2 months but should be applied only once daily.
•  DEET is waterproof, so swimming does not mean you need to reapply as you do with sunscreens. (Don’t use combination bug/sun products – the sunscreen should be reapplied, the bug spray should not.)

• Natural alternatives provide significantly worse protection.  The exception is a eucalyptus-derived ingredient, such as that found in Off! Botanicals. However, this product should be reapplied every 30 minutes to protect against ticks.

• Insect Shield clothing is infused with permethrin (has DEET – like bug repellent qualities but is safe enough for pregnant women and infants).  Among the 30 brands of clothing available, toddler-sized leg-warmers can be found ($15, babylegs.com).

• How to provide relief for those itchy bites?  Cool compresses, Benedryl cream, or Hydrocortisone cream 1% (both over the counter) can help.  Scratched and bleeding insect bites can become infected, so should be kept clean with soap and water.

Sunburn protection:

• For babies less than 6 months old, keeping the infant in the shade, covered with light-weight clothing and a broad-brimmed hat, is the best solution. If shade is not available, a minimal amount of sunscreen (SPF 15 to 30) on exposed areas of skin is OK.

• For older babies and children,  waterproof sunscreen  with SPF 30 is fine – it protects against 97% of UVB rays- as long as an adequate amount is applied (about one ounce or one shot-glass-full per child).  

•  Be vigilant about reapplying every 2 hours and after swimming. If this is unrealistic for your active children, a higher SPF can provide incrementally more protection. No sunscreen blocks 100% of UV rays: some UV rays get through and create free radicals, which lead to sun damage.  Look for antioxidants in the sunscreen, which help neutralize the free radicals before they cause damage.

• A white, thick lotion such as Walgreen’s brand, works best and should be thoroughly  applied to dry skin, before going outside.  Those handy sunscreen sprays are not effective. Any sunscreen with zinc oxide is good for the nose and face.   Finally, make sure the sunscreen is broad-spectrum, effective against both UVA (aging rays) and UVB (burning rays).

• If a child does get burned, cool washcloths to the area are soothing, and Ibuprofen (for children over 6 months) works as an anti-inflammatory and relieves the pain. For severe burns with blistering, please call us!