‘90s FAMILY : Children Need Extra Sun Protection

These days, putting sun block on your children is not enough. Pediatricians say kids need to wear sunglasses as well.

Dr. Rudolf Wagner, co-director of pediatric ophthalmology at Children’s Hospital of New Jersey, offers these suggestions:

* Do not judge sunglasses by the darkness of the lens.

* The glasses must absorb 99% of UV radiation. Make sure the label specifies the UV ray absorption.

* Polarized lenses alone won’t cut it. (Polarization and UV protection are not synonymous.)

* Choose unbreakable plastic for lenses and frames.

* If your child is out in the sun all day, sunglasses and a baseball cap would be the perfect combo.

Big and Small Ways to Conserve

If you’ve been thinking about making household adjustments to conserve energy, consider popping for a new energy-savings book from some pros in Snowmass, Colo.

“Homemade Money: How to Save Energy and Dollars in Your Home” ($14.95) starts off with the cheap and easy suggestions, such as turning down the thermostat. Then it moves into mid-range suggestions--inexpensive ideas such as water-saving shower heads--and finally escalates to more radical and costly commitments such as solar heating.

The 262-page guide also gives sources for purchasing products, as well as a list of other energy-saving books and organizations.

To order, call the nonprofit Rocky Mountain Institute at (970) 927-3851 or e-mail: @rmi.org.

Briefly . . .

Children should have five vaccination visits by the time they enter school. In Los Angeles County, 50% of kids under age 5 have not been immunized.

The National Immunization Information Hotline, (800) 232-2522, can help you find a pediatrician or a clinic. Also, Centinela Hospital has set up a number of mobiles for free immunization.

Just to name a few: Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., First AME Church, 2270 S. Harvard, Los Angeles. Aug. 26, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Challengers Boys & Girls Club, 5029 S. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles. Aug. 30, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Centinela Hospital Medical Center, 555 E. Hardy St., Inglewood. Call Centinela Hospital Immunization Hotline, (310) 419-8633, for other locations . . .

An interactive fair and expo all rolled into a weekend-long Familyfest with activities (try the Daddy Diaper Derby), contests (including Grandparents and Grandchild Look-Alike event), educational seminars (from child safety to family financial planning) and entertainment (including puppet shows and magicians). Saturday and Sunday, the Familyfest will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Los Angeles Convention Center; Aug. 26-27, from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. at the Long Beach Convention Center. $4 for adults and $2 for children 6-12. Children under 6 are free.

* This family roundup appears on Wednesdays. Items to be considered should be mailed 3 1/2 weeks before the event to Candace A. Wedlan, Family File, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, Calif. 90053. Fax: (213) 237-4888.