Even when we do our best to prevent sunburn, it sometimes happens. It’s easy to miss a spot when applying sunscreen (especially if you’ve got a squirmy kid). Sometimes we can’t keep up with reapplying when kids are active or in and out of the water. Sometimes we get caught off guard by a really sunny day — and sometimes we just forget to bring sunscreen on an outing.
Here’s what you should do if your child gets sunburned.
Get them out of the sun. This sounds obvious, but it’s worth stating. If your child is getting sunburned, either find or make some shade, or go indoors. Staying out in the sun is likely to make things worse (and a sunburn may be a sign of too much time in the sun), which can put kids at risk of heat exhaustion or even heat stroke.
Use cool water. A cool bath or shower can soothe sunburn, as can a cool, damp towel or cloth (which may be your best bet on the way home from the beach). Do it throughout the day if it helps.
Use products that contain aloe vera. This is widely available in lotions and gels (you can scoop your own gel out of aloe vera leaves), and can be very soothing to sunburned skin. Don’t use anything that contains petroleum, as it can trap heat inside the skin. And while it may be tempting to use products that contain benzocaine or lidocaine, as they are marketed to help pain from cuts and scratches, don’t — they can irritate sunburns.
Make sure your child stays hydrated. Burned skin doesn’t keep fluid inside as well, so anyone with a burn needs to drink more than usual. Fill a water bottle, and have your child drink from it frequently.
Consider using ibuprofen. It can help with pain and swelling. If you’re not sure of your child’s dosage, call your doctor.
Leave blisters be. If there are blisters, that means that the burn is a second-degree burn, which is more serious. Don’t pop them, just leave them alone.
Protect sunburned skin by dressing your child in lightweight, tightly woven clothing that blocks the sun. It’s not a bad idea, if possible, to stay out of the sun for a bit, especially after a bad sunburn. Do some fun indoor activities instead.
If your child has cramping, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, or sleepiness that doesn’t get better once you get them inside and cooled off, call your doctor right away. Hopefully, this won’t happen, but heat can be dangerous.
Along with being careful about outside activities, the best way to prevent sunburn is to choose and use sunscreen wisely. Even though the occasional sunburn is inevitable and manageable, the skin damage from sunburns can increase the risk of skin cancer. So next time, be extra careful.
Bible verses for today’s meditation and inspiration: Matthew E. McLaren’
Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. Jeremiah 29:12 NIV
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12 NIV
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Matthew 6:7 NIV
The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. Psalm 145:18 NIV
‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ Jeremiah 33:3 NIV
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20 NIV
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16 NIV
who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:6 NIV
Recommended contacts for prayer request and Bible study
https://www.hopechannel.com/au/learn/courses
http://www.nadadventist.org/article/15/contact-us
https://3abn.org/all-streams/3abn.html
https://www.adventist.org/en/utility/contact/
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