And here I've been laboring under the apparent delusion that sunglasses on babies are an affectation. After all, aren't sunglasses featured in almost every Olan Mills Natural Color 8x10 Portrait? Along with the cheesy fake-looking background of pastel blocks? C'mon, I KNOW you know what I'm taking about here! And it's funny, too, when my three-year-old dons a pair of cheap plastic sunglasses he got somewhere and then says "Bye!" like he's going off on a trip. It's CUTE! Sunglasses and kids seems...incongruous, so we think it's cute. Right?
Well, turns out some eye doctorish people are saying that it's more than cute, that it protects babies' eyes and all from damaging UV rays. In fact, sunglasses are recommended for babies as young as 9 months, and there's evidence that doing so can help prevent early cataracts (other evidence says there's no such link between early sun exposure and eye damage, so you make that call until the "experts" duke it out, m'kay?).
And, if you start insisting on sunglasses early,kids get used to it and don't tear the things off their faces like my kids used to do. Lots of manufacturers, like Baby Banz, are making shades for kids that come with straps that help keep them on. Not that babies are all that convinced by a velcro strap, but it helps.
So if you're gonna do this sunglasses thing, don't go cheap. Cheap sunglasses, without UV protection, actually do more harm than good because tinted lenses cause the pupils to dilate, letting in damaging UV rays. Also, look for less-breakable frames (duh) like those made from polycarbonate. And sun hats are an alternative for kids who won't wear sunglasses, but is a kid any more likely to wear a hat? I'm thinking that you have a battle on your hands either way.
Good luck with that.
