Parents warned to stay on their guard against sunburn

18 January 2009

Parents are being urged to stay on their guard and protect their children from sunburn as the country enters a critical time.

“This is an acute period in terms of ultraviolet radiation or UVR,” says Dr Richard McKenzie of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA). “During January, UVR is at its peak which makes it one of the worst months for
sunburn.”

People who get sunburnt as a child have an increased risk of developing melanoma later in life. In fact, 90 percent of skin cancer is caused by over-exposure to the sun's ultraviolet radiation.

“It is an especially risky time as we are part way through school holidays and children may be spending long periods of time outdoors,” says Wayde Beckman, HSC’s SunSmart Manager.

“The best thing parents can do for their kids is remember to slip, slop, slap and wrap. Between the months of September to March, especially within the hours of 11am and 4pm when UV radiation is most fierce, slip into protective clothing like shirts with collars and longer sleeves; slap on a broad-brimmed hat or cap with flaps; slop on a broad spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen; wrap on a pair of close fitting sunglasses that reduce at least 90 percent of the sun’s UV radiation.

“Also, try and keep your kids out of the sun when ultra violet radiation is at its highest.

“Parents should remember that children can get sunburnt on cloudy days too. Ultraviolet radiation can still penetrate light cloud and reflect off cloud surfaces so your child can burn just as badly on overcast days,” he says.

NIWA’s Dr McKenzie says ultraviolet radiation has hit extreme levels already this month. “Several places around the country are regularly hitting UVI values of 11 or 12. This is likely to last for at least the rest of the month.”

Contact:

Wayde Beckman, Health Sponsorship Council, 027 289 6680

Dr Richard McKenzie, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), 03 440 0429 (wk), 03 4486094 (hm)