How to help a child with a sunburn

Summer walks and games in the sun are good for children, but prolonged exposure to the scorching rays can lead to burns. Babies are especially vulnerable, as their skin is thinner and more sensitive than that of adults. If a child does get sunburned, it is important to know how to quickly alleviate their condition and speed up healing.

how to recognize a sunburn
A burn may not appear immediately - redness and pain appear after a few hours, and sometimes only the next day. The skin becomes hot, reddens, the child may experience discomfort, be capricious, refuse to eat and sleep poorly. In more severe cases, a fever, blisters and a general deterioration in health are possible.

cooling the skin
The first thing to do is to cool the damaged skin. You can wet it with cool water or apply a damp towel. It is important to ensure that the water is not too cold, so as not to cause hypothermia.

Chilled strong green tea helps well. It can be gently applied to the reddened areas several times a day. Fermented milk products, such as kefir or yogurt, can also help reduce the burning sensation.

folk remedies for relief
To soothe the skin, you can use herbal baths with chamomile, mint or eucalyptus. They will relieve inflammation and itching. Fresh cucumber juice also helps - it can be applied to the skin or a grated cucumber paste can be applied. Cabbage leaves are also effective: they need to be slightly cooled and applied to the affected areas.

pharmacy products
Pharmacies have special sprays and ointments for children, for example, with dexpanthenol. They can be used after a cooling bath if the child is not allergic to the components of the drug.

If the baby has a fever, you can give an antipyretic drug based on paracetamol. It will help not only bring down the fever, but also reduce pain.

skin care after a burn
Until the child's skin is completely healed, it should breathe, so the clothes should be loose, made of natural fabrics. Synthetics and tight clothes can increase irritation.

After a sunburn, it is important to give the baby more liquids: water, fruit drinks, compotes, kefir. This will help restore the water balance and speed up healing.

If the child has a fever for a long time or blisters appear, you should consult a doctor. After a few days, the skin will begin to peel - this is a natural renewal process. To relieve itching, you can use moisturizing baby creams.

Sunburns are easier to prevent than to treat, so in hot weather it is important to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun and protect the child's skin with a hat, light clothing and special sunscreens.