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Health Related Issues
Head lice (pediculosis) are tiny wingless insects that lay eggs, or nits, on the hair shaft close to the head. The most common symptom is itching. Check your child’s scalp in good light. Use of a comb or applicator sticks to separate the hair is also helpful. Nits may look like dandruff but they do not brush or flake off since they are cemented to the hair. Often you will find them behind the ear and at the nape of the neck. The louse is harder to detect. They are only 1-3 mm long, are grayish-white to reddish-brown and can move quickly in the hair. They do not fly, hop or jump. They do not live on animals, just humans.
If you find nits or lice in your child’s head, contact your pediatrician for his/her recommendation on treatment. Currently most professionals recommend NIX, an over the counter lice treatment with Permethrin. After treatment, remove the nits with a comb or your fingernails. Removal of the nits is very important to prevent reinfestation. Wash bedding and clothing in hot water and dry in a hot dryer. Vacuum carpets and upholstered furniture. Those items that cannot be laundered (including stuffed animals) should be sealed in a plastic bag for 14 days. Continue checking your child’s head daily for a few weeks.
PLEASE NOTIFY THE SCHOOL NURSE IF YOU DO FIND HEAD LICE ON YOUR CHILD SO WE CAN DISCUSS A TREATMENT PLAN AND CHECK YOUR CHILD’S CLASSROOM. Your child will be examined by the school nurse before readmission to school. The child’s classroom and siblings will also be checked.
School is not the most common place where head lice are spread. Sleepovers among friends and relatives are thought to be a common way they are passed home to home. Summer camp is another frequent site for transmission. They can also spread from sharing baseball/softball helmets. If you find nits in your child’s head it means they have had head lice for a minimum of 10 days. A female louse lays approximately 10 eggs, or nits in a day. The nits are incubated by body heat and hatch in 10 to 14 days.
Anyone can get head lice. An infestation does not indicate poor hygiene and is nothing to be ashamed of. Your communication is essential in controlling head lice at school. Thanks for helping us deal with this public health nuisance.