Pediatricians and governments should work to institute bans to keep children under 18 out of tanning salons, according to new guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The guidelines urge experts to strike a balance between protecting children from ultraviolet (UV) radiation, while ensuring that they get adequate vitamin D, according to Sophie Balk, MD, of Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in New York City, and colleagues.

Sunlamps and tanning beds are the main sources of artificial UV exposure and a range of organizations — including the World Health Organization and the American Medical Association — have urged that minors not be allowed to use the devices, Balk and co-authors noted in the guidelines, which appear in the March 3 issue of Pediatrics.

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[Source: MedPage Today]