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Hi there! I have a 5 month old baby boy who is extremely fair skinned. He is extremely sensitive to glare even on cloudy days and his eyes will start watering immediately in direct sunlight. My friend has given me some baby sunglasses (baby bans I think they are called). Is it safe for babies to wear sunglasses on a regular basis? Marilyn
UV damage to the eyes can start from an early age, and in the long term can cause serious eye problems, such as cataracts, pterygium (a growth over cornea) and other conditions, including cancer so regularly wearing sunglasses and a hat can be a great way to protect the eyes.
While sunglasses are available for babies and infants, the real challenge is getting them to keep them on. Some families may prefer to use other sun protection methods such as avoiding the sun during the middle of the day, staying in the shade and wearing a broad-brimmed, legionnaire or bucket hat – these things will do a lot to keep UV radiation away from kids’ eyes and wearing a hat with a brim that shades the eyes can reduce UV radiation to the eyes by around 50 per cent. If you are interested in sunglasses for your baby or family, look for wrap-around and close-fitting sunglasses that meet the Australian Standard 1067. If they meet the Australian Standard, it will say so on the tag. Toy sunglasses are not recommended.
Susan