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| Health Advisory |
The following is information only and should not be used as medical advice.
From time to times classes in Riverglades, like all schools, will battle head
lice. If your child is exposed to lice from another student in their classroom,
you will receive notification, in your child’s backpack, from the school
regarding the exposure. The information below, on head lice, was gathered
from the websites of various health departments around the country.
In the past few years, there has been an upsurge of head lice in preschools
and elementary schools. At least one of every ten children will probably
contract head lice by the 6th grade. Contrary to public opinion, the main
source of head lice is the family home environment, NOT the school
system. Lice are brought to schools on children who may have contracted
them at their extra curricular activities. Lice are found in the school system
by diligent school employees who are aware of the problem. Many myths
exist regarding who can or cannot contract lice.
• Head lice will attack the clean and the unclean with equal zest.
Cleanliness is no barrier.
• Head lice like the rich and the poor, and almost all races of people.
Between 12 and 14 million people each year are affected.
• Those with colored treated or processed hair are not resistant.
• Head lice are most common in young school age children, but
anyone can get them.
What are head lice?
A head louse is an insect that lives on the human scalp and feeds on blood.
While feeding, lice inject saliva into the skin which causes itching. They
hatch from small eggs, called nits that are attached to the shaft of the
individual hairs. The eggs hatch in about 10 days, with the new lice
reaching maturity in about two weeks. A female louse can live for 20 to 30
days, and lay as many as six eggs a day.
How does someone get head lice?
Head lice cannot jump like fleas. They have no wings and cannot fly.
Physical contact between people is a common way they spread. Indirect
routes include using the comb or hairbrush of someone who has lice,
borrowing hats, ribbons, scarves or other head coverings, sharing towels or
pillowcases, sitting in the movies or trying on clothes at stores.
What should you look for?
Persistent itching of the head and back of the neck can indicate head lice. If
your child scratches his or her head frequently, or if you hear of head lice
occurring on frequent visitors to your home, or on close friends of your child,
inspect your child’s hair for:
• Lice among the hair. Lice and nits are most likely to be found near
the scalp where the hair is the thickest, usually behind the ears and
around the nape of the neck.
• Nits on the hair. These look like tiny oval objects glued tightly to the
side of hair shafts.
What is the best lice treatment?
Daily, mechanical removal of lice and nits is essential to successful
treatment. Over-the-counter lice preparations containing pyrethrum do kill
most lice and nits. However, these products need to be used for several
treatments; just one will not get the job done. Natural products can be found
at fairytaleshaircare.com. Tea tree shampoos and products can be
purchased in health food stores. Lice Source in Delray Beach and
Plantation can also assist with treatments for a fee. Rubbing alcohol is a
great disinfectant for brushes and combs. Check your child’s hair
thoroughly each day for nits. Nit combs can be purchased at local drug
stores. It is best to check outside in the sunlight. Put backpacks and
pillows in the dryer on high heat for at least 20 minutes. Wash and change
the individual’s bed sheets and pillow cases daily. Vacuum daily until clear
of lice and nits (eggs). Don’t forget the inside of your car and the car seats.
All of these things should be done for at least ten days during the lice
lifecycle.
These are just a few pointers to get you on the right path. Research more
treatments on the web by typing the subject “head lice” into any Internet Web
search engine.
From time to times classes in Riverglades, like all schools, will battle head
lice. If your child is exposed to lice from another student in their classroom,
you will receive notification, in your child’s backpack, from the school
regarding the exposure. The information below, on head lice, was gathered
from the websites of various health departments around the country.
In the past few years, there has been an upsurge of head lice in preschools
and elementary schools. At least one of every ten children will probably
contract head lice by the 6th grade. Contrary to public opinion, the main
source of head lice is the family home environment, NOT the school
system. Lice are brought to schools on children who may have contracted
them at their extra curricular activities. Lice are found in the school system
by diligent school employees who are aware of the problem. Many myths
exist regarding who can or cannot contract lice.
• Head lice will attack the clean and the unclean with equal zest.
Cleanliness is no barrier.
• Head lice like the rich and the poor, and almost all races of people.
Between 12 and 14 million people each year are affected.
• Those with colored treated or processed hair are not resistant.
• Head lice are most common in young school age children, but
anyone can get them.
What are head lice?
A head louse is an insect that lives on the human scalp and feeds on blood.
While feeding, lice inject saliva into the skin which causes itching. They
hatch from small eggs, called nits that are attached to the shaft of the
individual hairs. The eggs hatch in about 10 days, with the new lice
reaching maturity in about two weeks. A female louse can live for 20 to 30
days, and lay as many as six eggs a day.
How does someone get head lice?
Head lice cannot jump like fleas. They have no wings and cannot fly.
Physical contact between people is a common way they spread. Indirect
routes include using the comb or hairbrush of someone who has lice,
borrowing hats, ribbons, scarves or other head coverings, sharing towels or
pillowcases, sitting in the movies or trying on clothes at stores.
What should you look for?
Persistent itching of the head and back of the neck can indicate head lice. If
your child scratches his or her head frequently, or if you hear of head lice
occurring on frequent visitors to your home, or on close friends of your child,
inspect your child’s hair for:
• Lice among the hair. Lice and nits are most likely to be found near
the scalp where the hair is the thickest, usually behind the ears and
around the nape of the neck.
• Nits on the hair. These look like tiny oval objects glued tightly to the
side of hair shafts.
What is the best lice treatment?
Daily, mechanical removal of lice and nits is essential to successful
treatment. Over-the-counter lice preparations containing pyrethrum do kill
most lice and nits. However, these products need to be used for several
treatments; just one will not get the job done. Natural products can be found
at fairytaleshaircare.com. Tea tree shampoos and products can be
purchased in health food stores. Lice Source in Delray Beach and
Plantation can also assist with treatments for a fee. Rubbing alcohol is a
great disinfectant for brushes and combs. Check your child’s hair
thoroughly each day for nits. Nit combs can be purchased at local drug
stores. It is best to check outside in the sunlight. Put backpacks and
pillows in the dryer on high heat for at least 20 minutes. Wash and change
the individual’s bed sheets and pillow cases daily. Vacuum daily until clear
of lice and nits (eggs). Don’t forget the inside of your car and the car seats.
All of these things should be done for at least ten days during the lice
lifecycle.
These are just a few pointers to get you on the right path. Research more
treatments on the web by typing the subject “head lice” into any Internet Web
search engine.