I've always had what I feel is a healthy neurosis about sunburns, which means I'm faithful about wearing sunscreen and chasing my sons around with sunscreen bottles.

So, I was more than a little surprised and disappointed in myself last weekend when I forgot to sunscreen my back while wearing a bathing suit and gardening for six hours. I got a very bad burn. Ouch.

Even more than I worry about myself getting a sunburn, I worry about my sons. We have such a love-hate relationship with the sun, and this achieves new heights when you have a baby or child to care for. Babies' skin is so fragile and delicate that it's especially vulnerable to the sun.

The American Academy of Pediatrics urges parents to keep babies under six months old out of the sun. In particular, limit sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the ultraviolet rays are strongest. Give babies plenty of shade under a tree, umbrella or canopy. Dress your baby in clothing that covers most of her body. Clothing made from fabric with a tight weave is best because it helps reduce the skin's exposure to UV light.

Not sure if your fabric measures up? Hold it up to the light to see how much light shines through. The less light, the better. To protect your baby's face and eyes from the sun, put a hat on her.

If there's no shade in sight, the American Academy of Pediatrics says it's A-OK to put sunscreen on small areas of a baby's skin, such as her face and the back of her hands.

For babies older than six months, you should apply sunscreen to all exposed skin. As you have likely noticed, having a baby takes a lot of the spontaneity out of life. You have to plan ahead because you need to apply the sunscreen 30 minutes before going outside so that the skin will have time to absorb it. Sunscreen wears off after swimming and sweating; it also wears off from soaking into the skin. Be sure to reapply it every two hours.

It's critical to protect your baby's eyes from the sun, too. Because an infant's pupils don't shrink at bright light, more than 75% of the ultraviolet radiation that she's exposed to enters her eyes, compared with only 10% for an adult.

Here's what our mommy M.D.'s — doctors who are also mothers — do to be sun safe.

"I live in Florida, and sunburn is a big concern here," says Melanie Bone, M.D., a mom of four grown children, a gynecologist and the founder of the Cancer Sensibility Foundation in West Palm Beach, Florida. "A baby can get sunburned by spending just five minutes in the sun. I was careful not to take my babies outside in the sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. We went out to play or exercise early in the morning or later in the evening."

"For each of my babies, I had a favorite lightweight pair of pants and lightweight, long-sleeved shirt that they could wear to protect them from the sun," says Kristie McNealy, M.D., a mom of four and a health care consultant in Salt Lake City. "I also had a blanket and a sling made out of sun-blocking fabric. A friend of mine made the sling, and she kept the 'tail' of the sling long so that I could drape it over my baby's face. You can also buy UV-protective blankets and stroller covers online."

When to Call the Doctor

If your baby develops a rash after being in the sun, call your doctor. Your baby might be experiencing an allergic reaction to the sunscreen.

If your baby shows any sign of sunburn, such as redness or blistering, call your doctor right away or take her to an emergency room for evaluation.

Because sunburn can lead to serious dehydration or infection, it can be life-threatening in infants and babies.

Dr. Rallie's Tips

My middle son was very sensitive to the ingredients in baby sunscreen when he was younger, and his skin would break out in a rash whenever I tried to slather him up before taking him outside. I finally gave up on the sunscreen lotions and protected him from the sun the old-fashioned way. I dressed him in a hat and lightweight clothing that covered his arms and legs, and I used the umbrella on the stroller to shade him from the sun.

By the time my son was about a year old, his skin wasn't quite as sensitive, and he was able to tolerate sunscreen without breaking out in a rash, as long as I washed it off his skin an hour or two after putting it on. — Rallie McAllister, M.D., M.P.H., mom of three, co-author of "The Mommy MD Guide to Your Baby's First Year," nationally recognized health expert and family physician in Lexington, Kentucky.

Jennifer Bright is a mom of four sons, co-founder and CEO of family- and veteran- owned custom publisher Momosa Publishing, co-founder of the Mommy MD Guides team of 150+ mommy M.D.s, and co-author of "The Mommy MD Guide to the Toddler Years." She lives in Hellertown, Pennsylvania. To find out more about Jennifer Bright and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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