Summertime Baby: How to Heal Sunburn in a Baby

While preventing sunburn is ideal, many babies will experience sunburn during their first or second summer. This piece will explore the safe ways to treat sunburn in an infant and toddler. 

As a parent, there’s nothing more miserable than seeing your baby in pain. Whether it’s a tumble down the sidewalk, a stumble up the stairs, or a bumped head, your baby’s cries always make you wince. When your baby has a sunburn though, there can be an added level of pain- after all you probably feel bad that you didn’t prevent it in the first place.

While it’s true that parent should be very mindful of the sun and work hard to keep their baby safe by using sunscreen, dressing them in sun safe clothing, and keeping them in the shade, sometimes a sunburn just happens.

If you’ve come home from a day out to a pinkish baby, check out the tips below for helping your baby heal from a sunburn.

Consult their doctor

While most sunburn won’t warrant a doctor’s visit, it never hurts to call and get your their opinion. If your baby is very young or has ongoing health issues it can be particularly important to let your doctor know what’s going on. Your doctor will be able to give you advice tailored to your child’s health needs and answer any questions you have about specific treatments.

Hop in the shower

Nothing soothes hot skin like a cool shower. Instead of submerging your little one’s body in a bath, consider hopping in the shower with them and setting the temperature a bit cooler than you normally would.

Use aloe

Aloe is perhaps the most well-known sunburn treatment. Rub some soothing aloe on your babe's burned skin to bring them some much needed cooling relief. Aloe can be reapplied throughout the day so, if you notice your tot getting a little cranky or uncomfortable, simply rub some more on their skin.

Keep them out of the sun

While it seems intuitive, keeping your babe out of the sun can be harder then it seems, especially if you have older kids who like to be outside. As your baby’s sunburn heals, keep them inside as much as possible and if you must take them outside, be sure to keep them in the shade.