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Healthy skin habits: Dr. Davis explains why it's important to teach kids at an early age
With our recent cold snap finally over, summer and warmer temperatures are just around the corner. As we spend more time outdoors in short sleeves and shorts, we need to remember how important it is to protect our skin! Although everyone loves “a tan” for the summer, this is actually a sign of skin damage. Protecting our skin by using sunscreen and other forms of sun block is the first (and most important step) in keeping our skin healthy and preventing the most deadly form of skin cancer, melanoma. Did you know that most of our sun exposure and skin damage from the sun happens before the age of 18? Developing healthy skin habits as children and maintaining these habits through adulthood is essential to keeping our skin healthy over our lifetime!
How does the sun damage our skin?
The sun produces invisible ultraviolet (UV) rays as part of the light it radiates to earth. These are the rays that are damaging to our skin and eyes. There are three different kinds of UV rays: UVA, UVB, and UVC rays. UVA rays are responsible for skin aging, wrinkling and causing melanoma. These rays make up the majority of our daily sun exposure. UVB rays are responsible for causing sunburns and cataracts of the eyes. They also contribute to melanoma as this form of skin cancer is most common in adults who had several severe sunburns as children. What is concerning about melanoma is that we are seeing it in an increasing number of young adults and even teenagers. Both UVA and UVB rays pass easily through the earth’s protective ozone layer. UVC rays on the other hand are thought to be the most dangerous types of UV rays but are blocked by the ozone layer and never reach the earth’s surface.What about melanin in our skin?
Melanin is a chemical in the skin that absorbs UV rays and causes our skin to tan. Everyone has a different level of melanin in their skin. Fair-skinned people have less melanin while darker complexions have higher concentrations of melanin. A common misconception is that darker skinned people do not “burn” or get skin cancer. Regardless of the concentration of melanin in the skin, anyone can get a sunburn or develop melanoma. Any amount of tan is damage to the skin whether you are fair skinned or not.So how do we protect our skin from the sun?
Kids can get a sunburn just from playing in the backyard on a sunny day- not just during a day at the beach! First and most importantly, all children (and adults) 6 months and older should always wear an SPF 30 before going outside for any length of time. SPF stands for sun protection factor and the number indicates the amount of time you can spend in the sun before getting a sunburn. For example, if you start to burn in 10 minutes without sunscreen, applying SPF 30 will allow you to stay in the sun 30x longer before starting to burn (ie-300 minutes). Other ingredients such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide offer the greatest protection against the entire spectrum of UV rays. Sunscreen should be applied 15 minutes before going outside to allow for adequate absorption into the skin. For most kids, two ounces (a shot glass full) of lotion should be enough to cover the entire body. Spray-type sunscreen should still be rubbed in after applied to the skin to ensure there are no missed spots. Don’t forget to apply to commonly neglected areas such as the scalp, lips, ears, back of neck, and tops of feet! Sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours while outside, especially if swimming or sweating. Remember, there is no such thing as waterproof sunscreen! This means you may go through nearly an entire bottle of sunscreen during a full day at the beach. Children under 6 months of age have more delicate skin and underdeveloped levels of melanin. They should not have sunscreen applied to their skin at all. Keeping young babies out of the sun altogether is best. However, if this is not possible keep them completely covered up with clothing and under a covered stroller or tent while out in the sun. -
Fulfilling a dream: Dr. Joseph's story
If you ask any of the oncology nurses here at Arnold Palmer Hospital who their favorite doctor is, they will all have the same answer. It is Dr. Joseph. To the untrained eye, Dr. Joseph may not actually look like a doctor at all. He may look strikingly similar to an 8-year-old who is suffering from leukemia. But don’t tell him that.
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Leading by example
The other day I had lunch with a friend at one of our favorite mom-and-pop sandwich shops. Well, sort of. We did have lunch, but I only remember this lunch date in flashes of chaos and confusion created by two lively toddlers.
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Remembering the ones we've lost
Every year Arnold Palmer Hospital and Winnie Palmer Hospital each hold a remembrance ceremony commemorating the children and babies who have died.
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Does your child struggle with messy handwriting?
Writing should be about the art of putting down your thoughts on paper. Whether a child is learning to write their name for the first time, draw a picture to share a story, or compose an essay for class, the most important part of any writing is the message itself. Handwriting that is difficult to read distracts and becomes the focus. So what happens when the mechanics of writing become such a struggle that the child is focusing all their energy on how to write rather than the writing itself? Where do parents go for help when their child just can’t seem to write neatly and every attempt ends up with tears? I’ve got a solution.
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10 reasons to get your kids into the kitchen
If getting your kids into the kitchen sounds a bit daunting, you aren’t alone. There’s the extra time and the mess and the trouble. It’s easy to think that things might be simpler if we sent our kids off to play while we handled dinner alone. However, we might be overlooking some great opportunities for us and for our kids.
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Tips from a pediatrician on how to have a successful school year
Another school year has already started. Does your child gladly go to bed on time and jump up refreshed at 0-dark-thirty to pop into school clothes and get to school energized? Or are you fighting to get him to bed, dragging him out in the morning, getting him to the bus with no food in his tummy? If the second scenario is yours, I think I can help you. Even if you relate best to the first scenario, maybe there is something here for you, too!
Sleep is more important than food!
I tell my patients, and this is true, that you can go without food longer than you can go without sleep. Sleep supports so many body functions that without enough sleep, your child will not learn, play, or grow well. For starters, get the electronics (TV, phones, games) out of children’s bedrooms. Those should be used socially anyway, and they interfere with both falling asleep and staying asleep. Bedtime should be about the same time every night, even on weekends, and should be early enough to guarantee at least eight hours or so of uninterrupted sleep (up to ten hours for younger children). If your child’s summer bedtime has been ridiculously late, try moving bedtime up by 15 minutes or so every few nights, not allowing for naps or “sleeping in,” so that her clock will gradually reset to a healthy schedule.But food is important, too!
Breakfast is, indeed, the most important meal of the day. Without breakfast, your child’s body will produce calories for the morning by breaking down muscle to release stored energy. This process also produces some chemicals that make your child crabby and groggy. Children who don’t eat breakfast don’t feel or think as well as those who do. That does not mean that your child needs to eat two eggs, bacon, toast, and juice at 6 AM. But it also does not mean that they should have a pop tart and call that breakfast. Even the grumpiest teenager can gag down an instant breakfast drink and a half a banana, or a smoothie made with fruit and yogurt, or a piece of toast with peanut butter and half an apple. A perfect breakfast should include a complex carbohydrate (like whole grain bread or cereal for example), some dairy source for calcium (milk, yogurt), some protein (meat, milk, legume like peanut butter), and a fruit and/or vegetable. A small glass of milk with half a turkey sandwich with lettuce and tomato is a great breakfast, and you could send the other half sandwich for lunch! If your child “is not hungry,” that makes sense, but it does not mean he does not need the fuel. He can eat on the bus or in the car.Refill the tank mid-day
A slice of pizza, juice, and a bag of chips is not a good lunch. If your child buys lunch at school, he can be taught to eat smart; school lunches do provide fruit and vegetable choices. Drinks are healthier now, too; most children (including teens) should only drink milk and water. Everything else (juice, soda, sports drinks) is just sugar-water. Energy drinks are not only empty calories, but also potentially toxic chemicals that interfere with sleep, affect heart rate and blood pressure, and who knows what long term effects that we don’t know yet. Packing a lunch for your child is a great option. I have done it now essentially every day for 17 years. It takes me 15 minutes each morning and my kids leave with a healthy sandwich or hummus and pita, a whole fruit, a bag of berries or grapes, another bag of veggies (carrots, peppers, sliced cucumber, grape tomatoes), one treat (like a 100 calorie bag of cookies or crackers) and a flavored water beverage. When my older children were in high school they actually had friends ask if they could send me money each week so I could make them lunches, too! Children are smart people. If you teach them well, they will get it!Spend quality time, but don’t hover
Your child needs you, but, honestly, not as much as you need her. Asking about school, offering to help with homework or personal issues, helping to set goals to do her best: that is your job. Living her life is not. Helicopter parents are harmful, not helpful. That said, help your child to set up a routine after school so that there is a quiet place to focus on homework, time for physical activity (at least an hour each day), very limited passive “screen time” (less than two hours a day). Be available if she needs help. A family dinnertime, even if it is late, is a great time to talk about the day, to listen and to plan. Organizing in the morning should be your child’s job. You can double check for a while that things are all being completed, packed and turned it, but let it be her job.Expect issues
Listen to your child so that you can help him with what he really needs help with and not with what you want to help with. Don’t be afraid to be MOM (Mean Old Mom), setting limits or making rules that “other kids parents don’t…” Seek help, either from your pediatrician or from a counselor, if you don’t know what to do or say. They don’t come with instructions! Most important, be open and honest with your children. Ask them how they feel and tell them how you feel. You are not your child’s best friend, but you are her best ally. Have a happy and successful year! -
A miraculous first year: Myles’ story
Written by Katie Murillo
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How to set realistic expectations for your child's Christmas wish list
This post was original published in December 2012.
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Webinar with Dr. Mehta and Nneka Ricketts-Cameron from the Center for Digestive Health & Nutrition
Do you have Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis?
