Babies’ delicate skin makes them particularly susceptible to sun damage. Current evidence suggests that childhood sun exposure makes an important contribution to the lifetime risk of skin cancer.
This position statement outlines the steps parents and carers should take to protect infants from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the day they are born. It addresses concerns about sunscreen use in babies and explains why direct sunlight is not recommended to treat nappy rash and jaundice.
This page was last updated October 2007
This position statement was last reviewed May 2005