Su Ziyin, Director of Aineng Occupational Therapy Center
"My newborn baby's skin turns red after being exposed to the sun. Should I take my baby out to bask in the sun?" "Will the ultraviolet rays in the sun affect the baby's eyes?" When caregivers want to take their children out to explore, My heart is always filled with these worries. Does sunlight help or harm children's development?
In addition to helping infants and young children synthesize vitamin D, sunlight can enhance the absorption of calcium, allowing the baby's bones to grow smoothly, and can also increase the baby's metabolism and immunity. However, too much or too strong sunlight is harmful to children's immature skin and Eyes may cause temporary or permanent damage. However, parents, don’t worry. If we can understand how to properly protect our children, we will have less to worry about while exploring with our children, and we will be able to enjoy the fun of exploring with our children.
Skin development in infants and young children
Recent studies have shown that the baby's skin barrier function will not mature until at least "12 months after birth". Before maturity, the baby's skin is thinner than adult skin, about 40 to 60% of adult skin. Therefore, " "Absorption of chemical products", such as chemical cleaning products, and "physical factor damage", such as ultraviolet rays in the sun, have weak defenses and are more easily absorbed by the epidermis, causing dermatitis. If it penetrates into deeper skin layers, serious It may cause harm to health, so special care is required.
In addition, infants have fewer sweat glands in their skin, and the microvascular circulation network under the skin is immature. The blood vessels contract or expand slowly in response to temperature, so their perspiration function and temperature regulation are poor, which also makes infants particularly sensitive to temperature changes. sensitive.
Development of eyes in infants and young children
The first 6 months after a baby is born is the most important period for visual development. Appropriate light stimulation is very important for the baby's retinal development. If there is not enough stimulation during the critical period, it may cause serious damage to the development of vision. as a result of.
However, because children's visual organs are still developing and will not mature until they are about 6 years old, their eyes are more transparent than adults, making it difficult to effectively filter ultraviolet rays, and ultraviolet rays are more likely to enter the retina. According to research, infants have The exposure to ultraviolet rays is three times that of adults. The damage caused by these ultraviolet rays is cumulative and may affect children's cornea, retina and other organs, causing irreversible eye diseases, such as white viscera and macular degeneration.
How to protect babies?
Considering that the baby's skin is not yet mature, when going out with the baby, you should pay attention to:
． Sun protection is very important, such as wearing sweat-absorbent and breathable long-sleeved clothing, sunglasses, hats, etc. to avoid direct sunlight on the skin and eyes
． Avoid the hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. when UV rays are strongest
In addition, when going out with infants and young children, if you can choose an appropriate stroller, you can also increase the protection of the baby:
． Choosing the upper mask can cover a larger area and use materials with better protection against ultraviolet rays, so that the baby can avoid receiving too much ultraviolet rays when sitting in the stroller, and at the same time, it can reduce the chance of the sun directly hitting the skin and eyes.
． Babies' sweat glands have not yet matured, so the ventilation of the material is very important to help dissipate heat. Therefore, it is recommended that seats and seat belts be made of materials that absorb sweat and have good permeability.
． The baby's skin is thin and fragile. Try to choose a stroller with enough space and a seat belt that is not too tight to avoid repeated friction between the baby's skin and the stroller during the exploration process, causing wounds, or the seat belt being too tight and compressing the skin. Causes excessive pressure on the skin.
※If you want to know more about baby’s growth, please refer to further reading:
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※For professional childcare, education, parent-child and other occupational therapy needs, please contact: Aineng Occupational Therapy Clinic
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