Yes, you read it correctly. So many parents have become so conscientious about protecting their children from sun exposure that an increasing number of children are getting too little sun. What are parents to do? 1. Several years ago we wrote: “The sun does to skin what tobacco smoke does to lungs. Both produce progressive, [...]

Posted in Sun Comments Off
Tags: 400 IU, 600 IU, breast milk, calcium, childhood diabetes, children sun exposure, kids vitamin d, megavitamin, protective sunglasses, skin cancer, Sun exposure, sun protection, sun screen, tissue damage, tobacco smoke, ultraviolet rays, vitamin d, vitamin d breast milk, vitamin d levels, vitamin d production

The sun is a mischief-maker, especially in wintertime. While the sun’s pleasant warming rays are equator bound, the troublemaking ultraviolet rays continue to bombard us no matter where we live and where we travel. Children are particularly at risk. Here is what you should know: • Protect kids from the sun all year around. Damaging [...]

Posted in Sun Comments Off
Tags: back seats of cars uva radiation, centers for disease control, children sun protection, children travel doctor, Cold weather, damaging uva rays, kids safety prevention, kids travel doctor, kids travel tips, melanin children, outdoors, protective shade, radiation, skin cancer, snow blindness, spf ratings, Sun exposure, sun protection, travel doctor kids, ultraviolet rays, uva radiation, uvb, vitamin d children, winter sun protection

Here are ten of the most healthful tips from the forty topics posted in the past year: 1. June is the month for maximum sun exposure. In June, in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun is closest to Earth, straight above you, and there are more hours of sunshine, all increasing exposure. Weather is generally cooler [...]

Posted in Outdoor Recreation, Prevention, Safe & Healthy Travel, Sun, Travel No Comments »
Tags: auto travel, benadryl, dramamine, Insect bites, insect repellent, motion sickness, outdoors, preventing bites, radiation, Sun exposure, sun protection, Sunburn, Sunscreen, swimming, treating bites, waterfront safety, weather

Swimming: The source of many illnesses Most kids’ favorite summer activity is swimming, no matter if it’s splashing in a small backyard pool, or on the beach of a five-star resort. But the reality is that no fun activity is totally safe and healthy. For information on water safety, see TenTips: Waterfront. For avoiding illnesses [...]

Posted in Outdoor Recreation No Comments »
Tags: Diarrhea, Infants, Intestinal illnesses, Respiratory infections, Skin conditions, Sun exposure

The sun does to skin what tobacco smoke does to lungs. Both produce progressive, cumulative, and irreversible tissue damage, often culminating in very serious health issues many decades later. But it need not happen. There are positive rays of sunshine, too: information on how to neutralize the harmful effects. Here is what you should know: [...]

Posted in Sun No Comments »
Tags: Equator, Infants, Respiratory infections, Skin conditions, Sun exposure, Sunburn, Sunscreen, Toddlers

Visiting Mexico City: 7,550 feet. Viewing the Grand Canyon: 8,000 feet. Skiing in Colorado: 8,000 feet (with some slopes going higher.) Driving up Pike’s Peak: 14,000 feet. At these elevations most children run circles around their huffing and puffing parents. But some children will show symptoms of acute mountain sickness (AMS), and a rare child [...]

Posted in Outdoor Recreation No Comments »
Tags: Acetaminophen (Tylenol), Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), Altitude, Aspirin, Asthma, Coughs, Dehydration, Fatigue, Frostbite, Headache, Hypothermia, Ibuprofen (Advil Motrin), Infants, Intestinal illnesses, Loss of appetite, Nausea, Respiratory infections, Seizure disorders, Sleep, Sore throat, Sun exposure, Toddlers, Vomiting

A vacation at sea offers families the best of all worlds: seeing foreign countries without the hassle of constant packing; supervised age-appropriate activities, lots of other children and, should you need it, “in-house” medical facilities. Here’s what you have to know: 1. Bring your children’s medications: A leading reason for passengers visiting ships’ infirmaries is [...]

Posted in Destinations No Comments »
Tags: Cruise ships, Infants, Intestinal illnesses, Medical kit, Medications, Seasickness, Sun exposure, Third world, Toddlers, Tropics, Vaccine

On Caribbean islands (Bermuda and the Bahamas included), travel-related illnesses are relatively minor, generally predictable, and largely preventable, making the islands comfortable places for family vacations. The exception to this is Hispaniola, where the Dominican Republic and Haiti are (see below).

Posted in Destinations No Comments »
Tags: Dengue fever, Sun exposure, Third world