Making an Impact: South Shore Hospital babies and their caregivers receive “sun-safe” gift bags from IMPACT Melanoma Foundation and Arbella Insurance

With the summer sun upon us, health providers say it’s important for parents to pay special attention to their baby’s sensitive skin. To help spread this important message, IMPACT Melanoma Foundation and Arbella Insurance donated 150 “sun- safe” gift bags to South Shore Hospital’s newest parents and their newborns.

On May 25, Kim Dever, MD, Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at South Shore Hospital and Courtney Csikesz, MD, pediatric dermatologist, accepted the generous donations filled with educational materials about sun safety, a car sunshade, and a skin-protecting onesie for babies to use this summer. IMPACT Melanoma also donated skin protecting lip balm and branded bracelets for the hospital’s Maternity nursing team. The totes will be given to new parents and their babies upon discharge.

 “We are tremendously grateful to Impact Melanoma and Arbella Insurance for helping to spread this important message,” said Dever, Vice President of Medical Affairs at South Shore Health.

“The items in these gift bags will help keep our littlest and most vulnerable patients safe in the sun.”

“Protecting young children from harmful ultraviolet rays is important not only for avoiding immediate consequences like painful sunburns, but also for minimizing skin cancer risk later in life,” added Csikesz, who also practices at South Coast Dermatology and Cosmetic Center in Weymouth, Mass. “When kids grow up practicing good skin protecting habits, they’re more likely to continue those behaviors into adulthood, lowering their risk of skin cancer and premature skin aging.”
 

Visit the South Shore Health blog for tips on sun safety for children from pediatrician Jeremy Warhaftig, MD.