Exposing Children to Sun could put them at risk of Skin Cancer  —Dermatologist

A Consultant Dermatologist, Dr. Enechukwu Inyienu has urged parents to pay attention to how their children react after staying in the sun, noting that any child that suffers skin burns, and blisters after being exposed to the sun could be at a high risk of skin cancer.

The skin expert explained that the risk is higher in children with multi-coloured patches known as xeroderma pigmentosum, adding that they are more at risk of developing skin cancer.

Speaking with Newsmen in an interview, Inyienu said such a child should be taken to a dermatologist for proper diagnosis, noting that an accurate diagnosis is necessary to prevent the child from developing skin cancer at a very early age.

Xeroderma pigmentosum is a rare genetic disorder that affects the skin, the eyes, and sometimes the nervous system. It disrupts the body’s ability to repair damage from sunlight and other sources of UV light.

MedlinePlus, an online information service produced by the United States National Library of Medicine, also added that “the signs of xeroderma pigmentosum usually appear in infancy or early childhood. Many affected children develop a severe sunburn after spending just a few minutes in the sun.

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“The sunburn causes redness and blistering that can last for weeks. Other affected children do not get sunburned with minimal sun exposure, but instead, tan normally.

“By age 2, almost all children with xeroderma pigmentosum develop freckling of the skin in sun-exposed areas (such as the face, arms, and lips); this type of freckling rarely occurs in young children without the disorder.

“In affected individuals, exposure to sunlight often causes dry skin (xeroderma) and changes in skin colouring (pigmentation).”

The dermatologist urged parents to incorporate the use of sun protection for their children stressing that it is a wrong belief that skin cancer affects only whites.

She added, “Sun protection is not just using sunscreen. When you are going to stay under the sun for a very long time you can use hats, umbrellas, stay in shade, and use protective clothing.

“There are clothing that can protect, long sleeve clothing, longer, darker clothing can also protect.”