2 Common Questions About Children And Sun Exposure

Allowing children to get some sun every once in a while is not a bad thing. Exposure to the sun provides Vitamin D, which is essential for the healthy development of children's bones.

However, excessive exposure to sunlight during the formative years of a child's life may be hazardous in the sense that it may encourage the development of various skin cancers in the child's later years. This article provides answers to two common questions about children and sun exposure with pre-school managers in mind.

How Else Can Sun Exposure Be Dangerous To Children?

Apart from skin cancer, which often becomes a problem later in life, exposure of children to ultraviolet rays from the sun can have more immediate consequences. For example, a child's eyesight can be affected negatively if the child is constantly exposed to sunlight for most of the day and over a long period of time.

Long-term exposure of a child to UV rays from the sun burn the child's cornea, thereby resulting in compromised vision. In severe cases, the child may end up developing eye cataracts.

It is for this reason that parents and caregivers are advised to ensure that children always wear a hat and sunglasses when going out in the sun. However, this may not always be possible when children are in school, hence the need for pre-school managers to take further precautions to protect children against ultraviolet rays.

What Is The Best Way To Protect Children From Sun Exposure?

In the pre-school setting, children are exposed to sunlight when they go out to play. Play time is a prominent feature on a large number of pre-school timetables and is important for the development of pre-school children. As such, children are exposed to the sun for considerable amounts of time when in school.

Because getting a base tan is not recommended for children of pre-school age (and because it may not always be a practical alternative in the school setting), one of the best ways to protect the young ones from harmful UV rays is to block a significant percentage of the rays from reaching them. This can best be achieved through the installation of sail shades in playgrounds, around swimming pool areas, and on other open grounds within the school compound.

A responsible pre-school manager should not take chances when it comes to protecting children against the potentially dangerous effects of exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun. Contact a company like Shades of Blue Shade Sails for more information about setting up sails to shade your schoolyard.


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