For 1 year old Katelyn and 7 year old Emily, the backyard is their extended playroom. But, their mother Lauren Tirado is very particular about her children having sun protection. Lauren lays down the law when it comes to spending hours of playtime outdoors, not letting the girls out without sunglasses and hats.

Parents need to be careful about their children’s sun safety. For 1 year old Katelyn and 7 year old Emily, the backyard is their extended playroom. But, their mother Lauren Tirado is very particular about her children having sun protection. Lauren lays down the law when it comes to spending hours of playtime outdoors, not letting the girls out without sunglasses and hats.

“Children’s sun safety is very important. I make them wear hats and put sunscreen on them to protect their eyes and their skin. If I don’t have either, I keep them out of the sun,” says Lauren.

Ophthalmologist, Dr. Norman Saffra of Maimonides Medical Center says more parents should take cues on children’s sun safety from Lauren. “Children’s sun safety is extremely crucial because they are more vulnerable to damage. Their eyes, in their rapid phase of growth in the first 2 years of life, are more susceptible to the oxidative damages from the sun. It is thought, but not proven, that extreme sun exposure during these periods of life can increase the risk of cataract formation later on in life,” explains Dr. Saffra.

According to Dr. Norman Saffra, some studies indicate that 80% of sun damage can occur during the first 18 years of life. The lens of a child’s eye is clear until about 10 years of age. The clearness of the lens allows greater sun penetration and thus greater damage, than occurs after 10 years of age, when the lens begins to become cloudy.
For this reason, young children are especially vulnerable to the impact of sun-induced eye changes.

“If we can protect the lens from additional sunlight damage early on, it may protect against the formation of cataracts when these children become adults,” says Dr. Saffra.
When it comes to your children’s sun safety, don’t skimp. If you’re buying sunglasses buy a pair that blocks 99-100% of both UV-A and UV-B rays. The glasses should fit closely to the face and have larger lenses for more coverage.

“Cheap, over the counter sunglasses will cause more damage to a child’s eye. Since they’re not UV protective, those lenses will actually cause more damage to the eye. The darkness of the lens will cause the pupil of the eye behind the lens to dilate allowing more light in,” says Dr. Saffra.”

“Parents need to pay attention to children’s sun safety. They need to take time out to put sunscreen on their children, and they need take time out to buy them sunglasses,” says Lauren Tirado.

In addition to sunglasses, wearing a hat to reduce overall exposure to UV rays is another great measure towards children’s sun safety. In addition, make sure your children never look directly at the sun. And limit the amount of time spent outside during the peak sun hours between 10 am and 3pm, in New York or any other city.

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