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14th August 2025
02:09pm BST
Kasey Schwartz was relaxing by the pool with her five-week-old daughter Sydney under a parasol and didn't notice the impact it was having.
By the afternoon, she noticed her baby was looking quite red in the face and it only got worse as time passed.
After bringing her to the doctor, it was confirmed to be sunburn despite never being in direct sunlight.
Her pediatrician said that harmful UV rays had reflected off the water in the swimming pool and onto the baby.
Taking her experience to her blog All Things Mamma, Kasey said: "I was sick. I felt horrible and I had no idea how it happened.
"I'm this baby's mum and I'm supposed to keep her safe and secure."
Kasey's warning originally came in 2012 when she visited friends during the summer – but as temperatures rise across Europe, the message remains important.
"I started to panic a little, wondering what was going on," she said.
"Then it was getting more apparent that she may be sunburnt.
"But, how?! She was under the huge shade umbrella all day.
"People take their babies to parks and beaches and walk around with them in strollers – how could she be sunburnt?
"But she was sunburnt for sure. You could see the line on her cheek where the sun didn't get to and it was clear."
Thankfully, Sydney's burn cleared up in a few days despite some slight peeling.
The mum has now advised others to watch out for any signs they could be burning, such as fever, dehydration, blisters and pain.
She said: "Now I'm extremely conscious of watching where the sun is and how its rays may be on my baby.
"I don't think this will ever happen again to us, but I want to spread this caution to others.
"As crazy as it sounds, it can happen as it did with me."
