Is it Safe to Apply Sunscreen on Babies?

This is a question that many parents are confronted with at some point in their life. You would like to spend the day at the beach as a family and you have bought a sunscreen for yourself but do not know what to do about your 3 month baby. Should you apply sunscreen on her? The Food and Drug Administration advises against the use of sunscreen on babies that are 6 months and below. For such babies, the best thing is to dress them appropriately to keep UV rays from their skin and keep them under the shade. Clothing that covers the legs and arms offers adequate protection. As a rule of thumb, any clothing that you can see through does not offer adequate protection against UV rays. For shade, if you cannot find a natural shade while outdoors create one using an umbrella. Do not forget to dress your child in a large brimmed hat to protect the face, ears and the neck.
So, why is it inadvisable to use sunscreen on babies? Note that the skin of a baby is usually very delicate which makes them highly prone to inflammations due to a high absorption of sunscreen chemicals by their skin.
Applying sunscreen on a baby may give one a false sense of security which may leave the baby vulnerable to sunburns and skin cancer later in life. Remember that a child's skin is very delicate. This is why it is better to take natural precautions such as covering the baby up and keeping her under the shade.