Q: We’re going away to the Caribbean with our 2 year old and I
want to know if it’s safe to use sunscreen on him. I was told
that sunscreen has been linked with an increase in cancer, but
also know of the very strong link between sun and types of skin
cancer. Which is it? - Brian L. A: First let me say that you are
not alone in worrying about sunscreen. Many parents do have
concerns over what the ingredients are and how they affect their
child, and it seems as though these concerns are not unfounded.
There have been several studies that have found correlational
relationships between certain types of skin cancer and the use
of sunscreens, raising the question of how much good they’re
actually doing. However, as with all research, there are other
factors that need to be taken into account, and in this case, a
group of researchers hypothesized that these relationships may
be due to a third variable, namely the amount of time spent in
the sun. Philippe Autier and colleagues examined the amount of
time spent in th