Max and Mila at the Beach

most importantly to continue to use these principles in your everyday

lives. Melanoma is thought to occur rarely in children. However, a number

... of recent publications and our own experience clearly indicate that a

profound change in the natural history of melanoma is now occurring and

that melanoma, indeed, is occurring much more frequently in children and

teenagers. Teaching children healthy habits at a young age and making it as

common as teeth brushing and eating three healthy meals a day is imperative.

The best way to prevent melanoma is to minimize exposure of your children's

skin to sunlight; the younger they are when they start practicing sun-safe

behavior the greater the benefit. A single bad sunburn under the age of 20 may

double the risk of melanoma; three blistering sunburns multiplies the risk by

five. Minimize exposure from 10 am to 4 pm when the sun is strongest, make sure

they wear protective clothing including a wide-brim hat. Sunscreens prevent

less serious skin cancers but they won't prevent melanoma if your child

stays in the sun for a long time. If you use sunscreen, make sure it is

waterproof, has an SPF rating of 30 or more for both UVA and UVB, is applied

heavily and is reapplied every 90 minutes or less.

Now is the time to take action to prevent the tragedy of melanoma from

affecting your children. The first step is to learn more about it yourself. Please visit

www.milesagainstmelanoma5k.org

to view their resources and learn more about

decreasing your family's risk.

Please tell your friends and family about this book. 10% of each book sale goes towards melanoma research!