New sunscreen guidelines

CNN — New federal guidelines recommend doctors start offering skin cancer prevention as early as six-months-old.  That’s a drastic change from previous recommendations.

Before baby learns to walk they should get used to never leaving the house without sunscreen.  That’s according to new recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of experts.

The task force updated previous guidelines from 2012 that that suggested skin cancer prevention and education begin at age 10.

Now it says it should begin when a child is six-months-old.  Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States.

Doctors are now encouraged to suggest babies start using sunscreen and wear protective clothing when going outdoors.

The task force says children and teens exposed to the sun’s harmful UV rays are at greater risk for developing skin cancer as adults.

The guidelines are especially critical for people under the age of 24 who have fair-skin, freckles and a family history of skin cancer.

People who use tanning beds or burn easily are also at higher risk for the disease.

The new recommendations were based on a review of 21 studies focusing on preventing skin cancer.