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Sun Safety While Expecting

Protection During Pregnancy

By Belinda Clarke

Pages: 1 2 3 4

Chances are, if you hit the beach or the pool this summer you will be shocked at how many pregnant women you see. First, being a pregnant woman yourself, you'll tend to focus more on women who share your situation – and shape! Add to that a mother-to-be's need to float, and you'll find that spending time in the water "takes the weight off," if only for a short while. Lastly, as "unhealthy" and un-trendy as it may be, most of us feel (and look) better with a tan.

But before you throw caution to the wind and forego the SPF, remember this: Pregnancy is temporary, but skin damage caused by the sun lasts forever. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), overexposure to the sun is the leading cause of skin cancer, including melanoma, the deadliest form of the disease. To prevent skin cancer, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends adopting a comprehensive sun protection program, including using sunscreen correctly.

"While most people know that the sun's rays are dangerous, that does not always translate into recognizable protective actions," says dermatologist, Dr. Timothy M. Johnson, chair of the AAD's Melanoma/Skin Cancer Committee and associate professor in the department of dermatology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. "Wearing sunscreen and practicing sun safe behavior can protect against not only sunburn, but premature aging and the future development of skin cancer."

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with more than one million new cases diagnosed every year, according to the AAD. And it's important to remember that sun protection is equally critical for babies, children and young adults.

"Sun protection habits, including wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher, is especially important at a young age, since 80 percent of a person's lifetime sun damage occurs before the age of 18," says Dr. Johnson. "Early initiation of sun protection behaviors by parents and consistent use throughout life may decrease a child's lifetime risk of developing melanoma."

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