Taking a Young Baby to the Beach

Yes, and there is one rule that surprises people: sunscreen is not part of the plan.

Wait until she is at least 2 months old, keep it short, stay in shade, avoid the hottest hours. The FDA and the American Academy of Pediatrics advise that babies under 6 months avoid sun exposure rather than be protected from it with a product, because her skin is thin and burns fast.

What to take

Shade is the equipment that matters. A beach tent or a large umbrella, a windbreak, towels, and a blanket so she is off the sand.

Everything else is comfort. The shade is the protection.

What to dress her in

Soft cotton covering her whole body, in something that breathes and absorbs sweat.

A wide-brimmed hat that shades her face and neck. Sunglasses if she will tolerate them, for the glare off water and sand.

If she is in the pram, keep the cover up and something comfortable underneath her.

Keep feeding her

Heat means fluid loss, and under 6 months every drop of that comes from milk. Feed more often than you would at home.

Feed on the beach, or in a feeding room if there is one. If there is neither, find somewhere sheltered so wind and sand are not blowing at you both.

Expressed milk is the other option. Keep the bottle off the sand, in a cooler bag or the changing bag, and check it before you use it.

Do not give water to a baby under 6 months, even in this heat. Milk covers her fluid needs entirely, and extra water at this age risks water intoxication.

Pick the hours

Avoid 11am to 3pm, when the sun is strongest and the sand is hottest.

Early morning or late afternoon. And short. An hour is plenty for a first visit.

Why sunscreen waits until 6 months

The part that gets reversed most often, so directly:

Sunscreen is not recommended under 6 months. Her skin absorbs more of what goes on it, and the guidance is to keep her out of the sun rather than coat her in something.

From 6 months, a sunscreen made for babies is appropriate, on the areas clothing does not cover.

Under 6 months, shade, clothing and timing are the whole strategy. Nothing replaces them.

The rest of the beach

Sand. Keep her on a blanket rather than directly on it. Sand holds heat, gets everywhere, and a mouthful of it is a common way for a beach trip to end early.

Seawater. Under 6 months she has no business in the sea. It is colder than it feels to you, she loses heat fast, and there is nothing to gain.

Wind. Underrated. It carries sand into eyes and makes her lose heat quickly even in warm air, which is why the windbreak is on the list.

Insects. Repellent is not recommended under 2 months, and light clothing over her limbs does more than anything you could apply.

Rinsing off afterwards

A short warm rinse to get salt and sand off, then dry properly, especially in the folds where sand collects and rubs.

Moisturise afterwards. Salt water and sun both dry skin out, and hers dries faster than yours.

Check the nappy area carefully. Damp swimwear plus sand is a reliable way to have nappy rash by the evening.

Watch for overheating

She overheats faster than you and cannot tell you about it.

• Skin hot to touch, flushed or unusually pale
• Breathing faster than normal
• Unusually floppy, or unusually irritable
• Fewer wet nappies than you would expect

Into the shade, take a layer off, offer a feed. If she does not settle quickly, go home.

When to see a doctor

• Any sunburn on a baby under 1 year
• A temperature after sun exposure
• Vomiting, or refusing to feed
• Unusual drowsiness, or difficulty waking her
• A rash appearing after the beach and spreading

The short version

Two to three months old is fine, provided it is short, outside the hottest hours, always in shade, and in clothing that covers.

What is not fine is relying on sunscreen to do the protecting.