The sun is shining, so of course you want to go out and enjoy it with your baby. Read on to find out how to make sure your baby enjoys the sunshine safely. While your baby’s tiny, it’s best to keep her out of direct sunlight completely. Once she’s six months or older, and wants to crawl and play outside, head for the shade and protect her delicate skin with a sun hat, loose-fitting clothes and sunscreen. It’s recommended that you keep your baby in the shade when the sun is at its hottest between 11am and 3pm.

Try to keep your baby in the shade as much as you can, under trees, an umbrella, a canopy, or a sun tent. If your baby isn’t mobile yet, she’ll be happy to lie and kick in the shade. If your baby is crawling or walking, encourage her to sit and play in the shade if it’s very hot. It’s particularly important to stay out of the sun during the middle of the day when the sun is at its strongest.

Keep her skin covered with clothes made from lightweight, closely woven fabric, such as cotton. A wide-brimmed, or foreign legion style, hat will shade your baby’s face, ears and neck. Choose a hat with an elasticated or velcro strap that tucks under her chin, which will stop it coming off. Sunglasses for your baby will protect her sensitive eyes. They don’t need to be expensive, but they do need to be good-quality wraparound glasses. When you’re buying sunglasses for your baby, look out for: the CE Mark and  Standard (BSEN 1836:2005) a UV 400 label, which tells you that the sunglasses offer 100 per cent UV protection an adjustable rubber or neoprene strap to help keep them on.

When you’re out and about with your baby on a hot day, attach a sun canopy, sun hood, or umbrella to her pram or pushchair. Remember to check regularly to make sure that it’s still shading her from the sun, and adjust it when you need to. If you can’t keep your baby out of the sunlight, the next level of protection is sunscreen.

Original article: https://www.babycentre.co.uk/a553935/keeping-your-baby-safe-in-the-sun