PARENT'S SUN KNOWLEDGE COULD BE PUTTING BABIES AT RISKMedia Release - 5th November, 2007 
The majority of Australian parents mistakenly believe their baby needs direct exposure to sunlight which could be putting them at dangerous risk of skin cancer later in life, according to the results of a new poll conducted by The Cancer Council NSW in conjunction with Huggies Little Swimmers® swimpants.
“It’s a real worry that almost 80% of parents quizzed believe their baby needs direct sunlight, when in fact we recommend babies are kept out of the sun as much as possible during this very vulnerable time in their lives. When that’s not possible, it’s important to know how best to protect your child’s skin”, said Kay Coppa, Skin Cancer Prevention Manager at The Cancer Council NSW.
The poll found 60%, out of almost 18,500 respondents, thought their youngster needed 15 minutes of direct sunlight a day, which has caused great concern to the Cancer Council.
“An adult’s skin can burn in as little as 15 minutes. Babies skin is a lot more sensitive and needs to be protected every day from the sun, even on cool or cloudy days,” said Ms Coppa.
“This summer we’ll be working with Huggies Little Swimmers® to help encourage parents to be sunsafe with their babies. All they have to do is go to the Little Swimmers website to find out the latest information. We’ll have expert tips available and answer any sun safety questions parents may have, online,” she said.
Alison Holland, Head of Marketing for Huggies®, said, “We’re really excited to be working with the Cancer Council to help mums and dads make sure they’re being sun safe with their baby. Becoming a parent involves a huge learning curve and it’s particularly important for new parents to learn how to protect their baby’s skin. We’re expecting tens of thousands of parents to log on over the next few months and have the benefit of being able to gain expert advice directly from the Cancer Council.”
According to The Cancer Council NSW, research shows unprotected exposure in the first 15 years of a child’s life significantly increases their risk of skin cancer in later years.
For more information, and the chance to win a sun safety Summer Fun prize pack, go to www.littleswimmers.com.au Download a pdf copy of this press release Download High Resolution images Media Contacts:  Sally Moore (Cancer Council) - 9334 1878 or 0413 886 578 Cassandra Casey
Public Relations Manager, Baby Care Division
Kimberly-Clark Australia
0411 194 199 or (02) 9963 8988
cassandracasey@bigpond.com.au
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