Sun safety a must for children

MESSAGE BOARD What type of precautions do you take when out in the sun?

May 28, 1999
Web posted at: 5:19 p.m. EDT (2119 GMT)

(CNN) -- With more than a million new cases of skin cancer and 9,000 deaths from malignant melanoma expected this year, dermatologists say everyone is at risk, particularly those who were burned as children.

"Kids who are sunburned early on in life have a greater risk of developing cancer in general of the skin," said dermatologist Bruce Katz.

A recent study of 756 children in Hawaii between ages 6 and 8 found that 80 percent of lifetime exposure to the sun occurs during childhood.

The survey, conducted by a team of University of Hawaii and Harvard scientists, found less than half of the children "usually or always" used sunscreen when outdoors in the sun, though more than 80 percent wore it at the beach.

Among the other findings:

• Parents' sun safety habits strongly influenced children's behaviors.
• Recreation programs' policies on sun protection predicted children's practices well but did not seem to be significantly associated with parents' practices.
• Half the children wore shirts with sleeves, 23 percent usually sought shade, 19 percent usually wore a hat, and 4.4 percent wore sunglasses.
• Parents were less likely to use sunscreen on themselves than on their children, but they scored higher than children on overall sun protection habits, mainly because the parents wore sunglasses more often than children.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which funded the survey, is particularly concerned about children's exposure to the sun. In an effort to raise awareness, the CDC has started a public education campaign called "Choose Your Cover."

The federal health organization is urging adolescents and young adults in particular to take precautions to protect their skin.

"Young people need to know that they can significantly reduce their risk of getting skin cancer later if they start protecting their skin from the sun now," said CDC Director Dr. Jeffrey Koplan.

Damage from the sun can start with just 15 minutes of exposure, even though the effects may not be seen until 12 hours later.

The number of people diagnosed with skin cancer is on the rise. "Whereas 10 years ago the risk of developing melanoma was one in 250, today the risk of people getting melanoma is about one in 70," said Katz.

NASA has found that the amount of ultraviolet radiation penetrating the Earth's protective ozone layer has increased 7 percent to 10 percent over the last 10 years.

Using a sunblock or sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 is one of the most common recommendations, but experts warn that may not be enough.

"Some sunscreens only protect against UVB (UVB stands for ultraviolet B light or the middle wave ultraviolet light), but the more recent ones with parsol, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are the ones that protect against both UVB and UVA (UVA stands for ultraviolet A or the long wavelength ultraviolet)," Katz said.

The Food and Drug Administration released its final regulations for over-the-counter sunscreen drug products this month. The new regulations are designed to help consumers make decisions on sun protection by providing for uniform labeling for all over-the-counter sunscreens.

Because the standards require SPF testing, sunscreen manufacturers have 24 months to comply. However, all manufacturers are encouraged to provide the new labeling as soon as possible.

Melanomas are asymmetrical skin lesions that can have irregular scalloped borders and are generally larger than 6 millimeters. The lesions can be multicolored with shades of tan, brown and black or even red, white or blue.

Early surgical removal of melanoma offers an excellent chance for cure. It is recommended that people who have have doubts about any mole get it checked early by a dermatologist.