09-05-2025
Protecting kids from the sun in early childhood could prevent cancer, experts say
As summer nears in Maryland, MedStar Health is marking the fifth annual National Safe Sun Week, which begins on Monday, May 19, by raising awareness about the risks of sun exposure and offering guidance on skin protection and heat illness.
MedStar Health conducted a national survey of adults and found several gaps in knowledge when it comes to sun safety and skin protection.
Survey reveals many adults are undereducated about heat illnesses
According to the survey, a majority of adults are not getting their skin checked regularly. 70% of respondents said they do not receive annual skin exams from a dermatologist or medical provider.
Among adults over the age of 45, nearly half reported never having had a skin check at all.
The survey also revealed that many adults are undereducated when it comes to heat illness. Only a small portion of respondents could accurately identify all the types of heat illness or their symptoms, and a significant number of adults aged 65 and older were unaware that they face an increased risk.
Extreme heat remains the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States. Over the past quarter of a century, the number of heat-related deaths has more than doubled from about 1,100 to more than 2,300 in 2023.
Sun protection in early childhood
Another common misconception highlighted by the survey is how quickly cars heat up in direct sunlight. Many survey respondents underestimated the danger.
In reality, the internal temperature of a car parked in the sun can rise by 20 degrees in just 10 minutes.
For parents, the findings bring a crucial health message into focus: Sun protection should begin in early childhood.
The survey found that only about a third of adults were aware that a bad sunburn in childhood is more dangerous than one in adulthood.
In fact, studies show that a single blistering sunburn during childhood can double a person's lifetime risk of developing melanoma.
"Sunscreen isn't just for beach days," said Dr. Min Deng, a Mohs micrographic surgeon with MedStar Health. "It should be a part of your child's routine for outdoor sports, festivals, or even just a trip to the park."
Dr. Deng emphasized that the long-term consequences of sun exposure are often underestimated.
"The vast majority of the sun damage we accumulate in our lifetime, 50 to 80%, happens before age 20," she said. "The damage doesn't appear overnight, but it accumulates, and by the time skin cancer develops decades later, it's already baked in."
Dr. Deng said she is now seeing younger patients, some as young as 18, being diagnosed with skin cancers such as basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma.
Experts are encouraging families to make sun protection a daily habit. They recommend using a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher and reapplying it throughout the day, even when it's cold or cloudy.
