In general
Children have thin skin with poorly developed pigment (melanin), the coloring in skin, which helps to protect it from the sun. Because of this, they are more susceptible to sunburns than adults are.
Children with fair or red hair burn more easily than children with dark hair.
The ultraviolet rays of the sun are particularly dangerous.
Research has shown that children who are sunburned have an increased risk of developing skin cancer later in life.
Thus, it is very important to prevent your child from sunburn damage.
Complications
Too much time in the sun can cause other problems besides sunburn.
If the child becomes very hot in the sun, the child may develop heat exhaustion. The child will initially be very thirsty; he/she will perspire a lot, complain of a headache or dizziness, and appear very hot and uncomfortable.
The child's body temperature is increased and he/she may vomit.
Such a condition requires rapid cooling of the child, and lots of oral fluid intake.
If not treated properly, heat exhaustion can develop into heat stroke, which is a very dangerous condition that requires prompt medical attention.
The symptoms of heat stroke are a severe headache, dizziness, confusion, breathing difficulties, lethargy, and eventually, loss of consciousness (fainting).
The child with heat stroke will perspire very little despite a high body temperature (usually between 102 and 105 degrees Fahrenheit / 38.9 to 40.6 degrees Celsius).
