Head Lice

September is Head Lice Awareness Month.  I attended a meeting last week with the School Health Advisory Council and here is some educational information they shared and some misconceptions about head lice.

Head lice are small parasitic insects.  They remove small amounts of blood from the scalp every few hours and are usually found close to the scalp, primarily around the ears and back of the neck.  Personal hygiene or cleanliness in the home or school has nothing to do with getting head lice.  They can definitely be a nuisance but they have not been shown to spread disease.  For this reason, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommended that students diagnosed with live lice do not need to be sent home early from school.  According to school policy, the parents will be informed and may come get the child but the child may return to the class for the day.  The child however may not return to school until they are free of live lice.  A notice will be sent home to the parents in the class.  If someone in your child's class has head lice, there is no need to panic or assume your child will get head lice.  It is best to check your child regularly to make sure they are free of lice.

The best ways to prevent transmission:

- Teach children not to share combs, brushes, hair ornaments, hats, scarves, etc

- Do not try on other people's hats (even in department stores)

- Teach children to hang coats separately - placing hats and scarves inside their jacket sleeves

- Clean or disinfect shared headgear (example: helmets) with Lysol or rubbing alcohol before being used by others

If head lice is found on your child:

- Check others in your house for signs of lice or nits.  If found, complete remaining steps on all infested individuals and continue to monitor remaining individuals.

- Use a shampoo labeled for treating head lice.  Follow instructions carefully.

- Remove nits from head by combing.  Complete nit removal is time-consuming but critical for successful treatment.

- There is no need to spray for pesticides at the home but it is important to remove all lice and nits from the house by washing (in HOT water at least 130 degrees) and vacuuming.

- There are a couple local places that for a charge will remove lice:

http://liceclinicsmckinney.com

https://liceremovalprofessionals.com

All information I have shared is from the Centers for Disease Control and School Health Services.  Please feel free to e-mail me (healthy_lifestyles@walkerstarspta.net) or comment on this post.