Your baby's skin: soft, sweet-smelling, vulnerable.  You notice that when you're diapering:  irritation develops easily; a soothing cream clears it up like magic.

Young skin heals faster than older skin, but it is also less able to protect itself from injury, including injury from the sun.

{loadposition sunburn3}Babies under six months of age should never be exposed to the sun.  Babies older than six months should be protected from the sun, and wear UV-blocking sunglasses to protect their eyes.  However, if your child is sunburned:

• For a baby under one year old, sunburn should be treated as an emergency.  Call your doctor immediately.
• For a child one year or older, call your doctor if there is severe pain, blistering, lethargy, or fever over 101 F (38.3 C).
• Sunburn can cause dehydration.  Give your child water or juice to replace body fluids, especially if your child is not urinating regularly.
• Give acetominophen if your child's temperature is above 101 F.
• Baths in clear, tepid water may cool the skin.
• Light moisturizing lotion may sooth the skin, but do not rub it in.  If touching the skin is painful, don't use lotion.
• Dabbing on plain calamine lotion may help, but don't use one with an added antihistamine.
• Do not apply alcohol, which can overcool the skin.
• Do not use any medicated cream - hydrocortisone, benzocaine - unless your baby's doctor tells you to.
• Keep your child out of the sun entirely until the sunburn heals.
• Familarize yourself with the rules of sun protection, and make sure that no matter where you child goes - daycare, play dates, nursery school - sun safety is taken into account.