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Vitamin D and Kids: How Much Sun Should They Get to Stay Healthy?

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Our skin is like a sponge and what we put on it ends up in us. Besides causing an unhealthy lack of Vitamin D, what unnatural chemicals do we absorb from sunscreens? One has to wonder if it is the sunscreens we've been putting on our skin for decades that has lead to the increase in skin cancer.

Agnes 7:39AM August 20, 2009

Thank you all for your fascinating comments, particularly Martin for copying the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations. The National Academy of Sciences is considering changing that 400 iu/daily recommendation, so stay tuned. I'll report the news if they change it.
And Pete, I have not seen any evidence that taking Vitamin D supplements reduces the risk of sunburn. Taking 1000/IU per 25 pounds of body weight could cause a serious overdose; please don't try this!
There has been talk about whether a melatonin cream might reduce the risk of sunburn, but that would not be melatonin supplements taken by mouth. And melatonin is not considered safe for children. (WebMD has good information on this.)
Bottom line: please don't take Vitamin D supplements thinking they will protect you from sunburn.

Nancy Shute of DC 11:44AM August 05, 2009

Here is what the World Health Organization (WHO) says about sunscreens in the IARC Hand books of Cancer Prevention: Sunscreens “Sunscreens probably prevent squamous-cell carcinoma of the skin when used mainly during unintentional sun exposure. No conclusion can be drawn about the cancer-preventive activity of topical use of sunscreens against basal-cell carcinoma and cutaneous melanoma.” The US Centre for Disease and Control (CDC) in their MMWR Recommendations and Report: Counseling to Prevent Skin Cancer said “Sunscreen had no effect on basal cell cancer” and want on to say “There are no direct data about the effect of sunscreen on melanoma incidence” “Several epidemiologic studies have found higher risk for melanoma among users of sunscreens then among nonusers”

Steven Gilroy 10:32PM August 04, 2009

Stop raising children in a scared fashion. Let them be kids and play outside, no, make them play outside. The sun in normal doses will not kill them, a predator is not going to snatch them, bugs will not bite them, they will not fall and kill themselves, eating small amounts of dirt will not harm them.
Stop, stop, stop, enough already with the scare tactics. Let kids be kids!

BA of FL 10:11AM August 04, 2009

Getting vitamin D from milk is like trying to get blood out of a rock. There is an enzyme in milk which actually prevents most of the D from being absorbed by the body. The vitamin D in juice is more easily absorbed but there are too many carbs in the juice.
Sun is good in amounts just enough to cause the skin to turn pink, but not good before 10 AM or after 2 PM (too much UV-A). However, it takes up to 48 hours for the majority of vitamin D to be absorbed from your skin, so showering within that time will wash away most of the vitamin D on your skin.
Vitamin D supplements seem like the best route. Unfortunately, the standard recommendation for dosage is way too low. Thousands of IUs are needed, not hundreds.

Ed of NC 2:01AM August 04, 2009

Given the results of this work it appears that sun and milk are not enough. So maybe the supplement added to the milk is much too low.
Be careful of just putting a child (or adult) with low blood levels of vitamin d in the sun, their body will have reduced all the skin defences to a minimum in an attempt to make D and they will burn very rapidly. If you wish to reduce burning take 1000IU of D per 25lb of body weight for a few weeks before going out. Keep the supplement up all year and your tan last all winter so you don't burn in the spring.

Pete 4:21PM August 03, 2009

SUMMARY GUIDELINES
To prevent rickets and vitamin D deficiency in healthy
infants, children, and adolescents, a vitamin D intake of
at least 400 IU/day is recommended. To meet this intake
requirement, we make the following suggestions:
1. Breastfed and partially breastfed infants should be
supplemented with 400 IU/day of vitamin D beginning
in the first few days of life. Supplementation
should be continued unless the infant is weaned to at
least 1 L/day or 1 qt/day of vitamin D–fortified formula
or whole milk. Whole milk should not be used until
after 12 months of age. In those children between 12
months and 2 years of age for whom overweight or
obesity is a concern or who have a family history of
obesity, dyslipidemia, or cardiovascular disease, the use
of reduced-fat milk would be appropriate.163
2. All nonbreastfed infants, as well as older children
who are ingesting 1000 mL/day of vitamin D–fortified
formula or milk, should receive a vitamin D
supplement of 400 IU/day. Other dietary sources of
vitamin D, such as fortified foods, may be included in
the daily intake of each child.
3. Adolescents who do not obtain 400 IU of vitamin D
per day through vitamin D–fortified milk (100 IU per
8-oz serving) and vitamin D–fortified foods (such as
fortified cereals and eggs [yolks]) should receive a
vitamin D supplement of 400 IU/day.
4. On the basis of the available evidence, serum 25-
OH-D concentrations in infants and children should
be 50 nmol/L (20 ng/mL).
5. Children with increased risk of vitamin D deficiency,
such as those with chronic fat malabsorption and
those chronically taking antiseizure medications, may
continue to be vitamin D deficient despite an intake
of 400 IU/day. Higher doses of vitamin D supplementation
may be necessary to achieve normal vitamin D
status in these children, and this status should be
determined with laboratory tests (eg, for serum 25-
OH-D and PTH concentrations and measures of bonemineral
status). If a vitamin D supplement is prescribed,
25-OH-D levels should be repeated at
3-month intervals until normal levels have been
achieved. PTH and bone-mineral status should be
monitored every 6 months until they have normalized.
6. Pediatricians and other health care professionals
should strive to make vitamin D supplements readily
available to all children within their community, especially
for those children most at risk.

Martin of CA 4:01PM August 03, 2009

To prevent rickets and vitamin D deficiency in healthy infants and children and acknowledging that adequate sunlight exposure is difficult to determine, we reaffirm the adequate intake of 200 IU per day of vitamin D by the National Academy of Sciences4 and recommend a supplement of 200 IU per day for the following:
All breastfed infants unless they are weaned to at least 500 mL per day of vitamin D-fortified formula or milk.
All nonbreastfed infants who are ingesting less than 500 mL per day of vitamin D-fortified formula or milk.
Children and adolescents who do not get regular sunlight exposure, do not ingest at least 500 mL per day of vitamin D-fortified milk, or do not take a daily multivitamin supplement containing at least 200 IU of vitamin D.

Martin of CA 3:57PM August 03, 2009