VaughanBaby

Our Dr. in the house, Amy Robinson offers advice and answers your questions related to topics ranging from conception, prenatal health, natural alternatives for infant or childhood health immune fuction, brain developent, sleep and behavioural issues and more.

If there are any questions or concerns you would like Dr. Amy to address, please email them to us at: vaughanbaby@sympatico.ca

Q - I have young children, and try to minimize the man-made chemicals that they are exposed to. I question the quality of hygienic products available. More specifically, at this time of year, I wonder what I should look for in a sunscreen as it is repeatedly applied to my children. Do you have any suggestions? - Nadia, Richmond Hill

Dr. Amy responds:

As a mother, I also question whether sunscreen use is as necessary as is toted in the media, and what guidelines to follow to minimize my children's exposure to potentially harmful chemical ingredients, while also protecting them from overexposure to the sun.

What I have found is that there are far more benefits to exposing children to the sun with proper protection from shade and clothing, rather than from synthetic chemicals. I have also found some quality sunscreen products on the market that I use only when we are going to have prolonged sun exposure during the most intense periods of the day. Unfortunately, most mineral-based, high-quality sunscreens have to be ordered online. (One such product can be found at www.californiababy.com) I realize this is a different approach than most parents are used to, however there is a great deal of research behind my choices.

The fact is that natural sunlight is necessary for good health. Daily moderate exposure allows the body to produce vitamin D, as well as melanin, which acts as a natural sunscreen. Studies have shown that when people are constantly lathered with sunscreen, or who are underexposed to sunlight, their bodies become "light deficient". As a result, their bodies do not make the same levels of either vitamin D or melanin, which then accelerates melanoma growth risks. In fact, studies show that regular, moderate sun exposure can prevent tens of thousands of cancer-related deaths.

There is a lot of focus on the harmful effects of sun rays. Overexposure does cause damage to the skin, suppresses the immune system, accelerates skin aging, and contributes to acinic keratoses, a precursor to squamous cell carcinoma. However, studies have failed to prove that sunscreen use prevents basal cell cancers and melanoma, the most harmful types of skin cancer.

Studies have shown that there are harmful side-effects to many of the chemicals found in common sunscreens. Ironically, it has been found that that many of the active ingredients in sunscreens are potentially carcinogenic, most commonly increasing the risk of prostate, testicular, breast and uterine cancers. The conditions most commonly found in animal studies were related to liver and kidney tumors, and reproductive disorders such as endometriosis, altered menstrual cycles and reproductive cancers.

So - What can you do?

1 - Gradually expose your children to the sun on a daily basis. (This includes winter time!) In the spring months, gradually increase daily sun exposure leading into the summer months when exposure is at the highest.

2 - Avoid sun exposure between the 11am and 3pm, when the sun rays are most powerful.

3 - Adjust sun exposure when around snow and water, as both increase the intensity of the sun.

4 - Use clothing, hats, umbrellas and sunglasses for protection.

5 - Select sunscreens that have natural, mineral-based ingredients such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. Go to www.cosmeticsdatabase.com to look for quality products and to see how your sunscreen measures up.

6 - Add an omega-3 supplement to your family's diet and decrease omega-6 intake (found in corn, soy, safflower and sunflower oils) This is due to research indicating that a the omega 6:3 ratio was the key in preventing skin cancer development.

Much of this article was excerpted from the summer 2004 issue of Pathways magazine, of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association. www.icpa4kids.com www.pathwaystofamilywellness.org