Stop bleaching skin of children

THE natural skin of a child is delicate and needs protection. However, a very disturbing trend is emerging in our homes, where mothers and other caregivers are using harsh soaps, skin-lightening creams and even oral medications to tone down the skin of their babies.

“A baby is not a beauty project,” as public health nurse Mr Jonathan Kwame Quarshie of the Ho Teaching Hospital so urgently cautioned.

According to Mr Quarshie, it is medical abuse to subject a developing child to harmful substances in order to meet an arbitrary aesthetic ideal.

The truth is that children are not miniature versions of grown-ups. Their skin is much thinner and more susceptible to chemical absorption. So, when a caregiver applies lightening creams to a toddler or makes them take over-the-counter medications that promise to bleach them “from within”, they are exposing a vulnerable system to chemicals.

These products may contain hazardous ingredients such as mercury, a heavy metal that can penetrate the skin and affect the kidneys and central nervous system, potentially causing neurological damage and other serious health complications.

Again, the products may contain corticosteroids and hydroquinone, substances that can damage the skin’s natural defences, resulting in persistent bruising, skin thinning and other health complications, particularly when used inappropriately.

When a child is exposed to these serious health hazards for the sake of a lighter shade, an innocent human life is being treated like a laboratory experiment. It exchanges the health of a child’s internal organs for a transient, shallow and extremely harmful standard of beauty.

The consequence is that child bleaching can leave physical scars, but the psychological damage is equally severe. The underlying message is obvious when a parent bleaches a child, especially young girls who are most affected by this social pressure.

Before the next generation is old enough to comprehend it, we are infecting them with a virus of self-loathing. A child will struggle to develop a healthy self-image if raised to believe that their natural complexion is a problem that should be chemically eliminated. They are being taught to perceive an enemy when they gaze in the mirror.

Mr Quarshie’s cry is that “Every shade deserves protection,” and this means that every child is entitled to safe care. The Spectator agrees that this message must be forcefully echoed by society.

We should be mindful of the fact that a tube of illicit bleaching cream or an over-the-counter pill cannot provide true treatment. What children need is a healthy diet, age-appropriate hygiene and unwavering love.

We propose that a qualified medical practitioner should be consulted if a child has a legitimate dermatological problem rather than resorting to risky cosmetic procedures.

It is the responsibility of parents, extended families and communities to create an atmosphere in which children are valued for their inherent beauty, health and vitality.

We do not need to make our children lighter. They must be safeguarded, loved and given the opportunity to develop in the lovely skin they were born with.

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