Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-03
DAILY SUN BATHS
URGED FOR BABIES
Health Experts Declare Sum.
mer Should Not Bring
Neglect.
Hrom United States Daily.

From United States Daily.
The heat Of Summer should not cause
parents to neglect the daily sun baths
for baby, according to the Children's
Bureau, Department Of Labor.
Sunlight, necessary fer bone and
muscular development, is beneficial only
when the rays reach the skin directly.
but precautions should be. taken to
avoid sunburns. Additional information
was supplied as fellows:
During the hottest part OF the day.
the baby should be kept in the coolest
part of the house or in shady part
of the perch, wearing only the light
est clothing. But in the cooler parts
of the day he should be put out in the
yard or on q sunny porch to be tanned
gradually by sun baths.
Necessary to Growth.
Sunlight IS necessary for the proper
growth Of a baby. The growth CT
child's bones is dependent not only on
the food that he eats but also upon
the direct sunlight that he receives,
for sunlight enables the body to util-
lie food If baby is deprived OF direct
sunlight and of its substitute, cod-liver
oil, his bones will not develop normally.
his muscles will be flabby and his skin
will be pale. He will probably have
ricketts,.
The beneficial effect of sunlight is
not obtained unless the rays reach the
skin directly. Tanning Is evidence that
the suns rays are reaching the skin dl-
rectly. Most babies tan quickly; few
tan only after long exposure. Clothing
or ordinary window glass keep out the
ultraviolet rays-the rays that prevent
and cure ricketts,.
A baby's eyes will not be injured by
sunlight unless the rays enter the eyes
directly. This occurs only when the eyes
are turned directly to the sun and are
open. If the eyelids are closed or II the
face Is turned away from the sun, no
harm will be done. While giving the
sun bath during the baby's first month
of life it may be well to turn his race
away from the sun.
Eyes Can Be Protected.
After this II the baby lies with his
feet directed away from the sun and
his head slightly raised, his eyes will be
adequately protected from the direct
rays by the shadow cast by forehead,
eyebrows and eyelids. A baby that IS old
enough to sit up during the sun bath
will protect his own eyes by the shadow
cast by his forehead and bent head.
Sun baths should begin when the
baby Is or 4 weeks old. For the first
sun bath in warm weather take of all
the baby's clothes-except his diaper
Give the sun bath some time between
8 and IL am, when the sun Is warm
but not too hot, and again after
o'clock. Allow the sun to shine first for
i've minutes on the front OF the baby
and then for five minutes on his back.
The next day do the same thing, ex-
cept that the time of exposure to the
sun may be increased three minutes fol-
a fair-skinned baby and five minutes
for a dark skinned one. Increase the
length of the sun bath each day by
three or five minutes until the baby L
having half an hour in the morning
and half an hour in the afternoon. Al
the Summer goes on this time may oe
increased to three-Quarters of an houl
once or twice a day, and for many
Stables, especially those over months
Of age, to an hour once or even tWict
q day. Care must be taken not to burr
the baby's delicate skin.