FDA Says Babies Should Not Use Sunscreen

July 3rd, 2012

The Los Angeles Times (7/2, Macvean) reports in its “Booster Shots” blog, “The US Food and Drug Administration recommends that, generally, babies younger than 6 months old should not have sunscreen put on their skin. ‘The best approach is to keep infants under 6 months out of the sun, and to avoid exposure to the sun in the hours between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when ultraviolet (UV) rays are most intense.’ says Hari Cheryl Sachs, a pediatrician at the FDA.” Sachs also said that children have thinner skin and “more surface area for their weight,” which “means a great exposure to the chemicals in sunscreens – and a risk of inflammation or allergic reaction.”