According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-
“Students diagnosed with live head lice do not need to be sent home early from school; they can go home at the end of the day, be treated, and return to class after appropriate treatment has begun.”
“Head lice can be a nuisance but they have not been shown to spread disease. Personal hygiene or cleanliness in the home or school has nothing to do with getting head lice.”
https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/schools.html
If head lice is suspected in a student they will be checked by the school nurse. If they are found to have head lice, the parent/guardian will be contacted as these children need to be treated. The child can stay in school for the remainder of the day unless; there are more than 2 louse (adult lice) present and/or the infestation is interfering with the learning process, for example, the child is unable to focus due to itching/scratching.
**It is important to remember that this is a common childhood occurrence, having nothing to do with cleanliness. It is a nuisance but not a health hazard.
If your child has head lice they need to be treated as soon as possible. Once they are treated they can return to school.
Some frequently asked questions/important things to know about Head Lice (from American Academy of Pediatrics AAP):
How do head lice spread?
Head lice are crawling insects. They cannot jump, hop, or fly. The main way that head lice spread is from close, prolonged head-to-head contact. There is a very small chance that head lice will spread by sharing items such as combs, brushes, hats and sports helmets.
What are the symptoms of head lice?
Itching on the areas where head lice are present is the most common symptom. Most of the itching occurs behind the ears or at the back of the neck.
**This itching can last for weeks, even after the lice are gone.
How do you check for head lice?
Regular home checks for head lice are a good way to spot head lice before they have time to multiply.
Seat your child in a brightly lit room
Part their hair
Look for crawling lice and for nits (eggs) on your child’s scalp a section at a time
Live lice are hard to find. They avoid light and move quickly
Nits will look like small white or yellow-brown specks and be firmly attached to the hair near the scalp. The easiest places to find them are at the hairline at the back of the neck or behind the ears. Nits can be confused with other things like dandruff, dirt or hair spray droplets. The way to tell the difference is that nits are very difficult to remove while the others are not.
Use a fine-tooth comb (such as a louse or nit comb) to help you search the scalp section by section.
How do you treat head lice?
Head Lice medications should only be used when it is certain that your child has living head lice (not nits).
What head lice medicines are available?
It is recommended that you check with your child's doctor before beginning any treatment. See chart, below, for a list of head lice medicines approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Head Lice Medicines**Follow the directions on the package EXACTLY as written. |
Permethrin lotion (1%) Brand name products: Nix, Elimite and Acticin | No prescription needed. Apply to shampooed and towel-dried hair; then rinse off after 10 minutes. Do not shampoo for 24-48 hours afterward. Kills lice; does not kill lice eggs. Retreatment is recommended between days 9 and 10 if live lice are seen. Approved for use in children 2 months and older.
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Pyrethrin-based product (shampoo or hair mousse)
Brand name products: RID, A-200, Pronto, R&C, Triple X and Licide | No prescription needed. Apply to dry hair and rinse off after 10 minutes. Do not shampoo for 24-48 hours afterwards. Kills lice; does not kill lice eggs. Retreatment is recommended between days 9 and 10. Approved for use in children 2 years and older.
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Ivermectin lotion (0.5%)
Brand name product: Sklice | No prescription needed. Apply to dry hair and rinse off after 10 minutes. Do not shampoo for 24-48 hours afterwards. Kills lice; does not kill lice eggs. However, prevents newly hatched lice from living. Only 1 application is needed. Do not use veterinary formulations of ivermectin. Approved for use in infants and children 6 months and older.
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Malathion lotion (0.5%)
Brand name product: Ovide | Prescription needed. Apply to dry hair and rinse off after 8–12 hours. Do not shampoo for 24-48 hours afterwards. Kills lice and lice eggs. A second treatment is recommended in 7–9 days if live lice are seen. Approved for use in children 6 years or older. Strong odor. Flammable.
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Spinosad topical suspension (0.9%)
Brand name product: Natroba | Prescription needed. Apply to dry hair and rinse off after 10 minutes. Do not shampoo for 24-48 hours afterwards. Kills lice and lice eggs. A second treatment is recommended in 7 days if live lice are seen. Approved for use in children 6 months of age and older.
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Ivermectin 3-mg tablets | Prescription needed. Use only when other medications have failed. A second treatment is recommended in 9-10 days if live lice are seen. Can be used at any age, as long as weight is at least 33 pounds. Do not use veterinary formulations of ivermectin. Approved for use in adults for head lice, and used in children for other infections.
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What else do I need to know about treating head lice?
You may want to wash your child’s clothes, towels, hats, and bed linens in hot water and dry on high heat if they were used within 2 days before head lice were found and treated.
If items cannot be washed, seal them in a plastic bag for 2 weeks or they can be dry cleaned (tell the dry cleaner why they are being dry cleaned.)
DO NOT spray pesticides in your home. They can expose your family to dangerous chemicals.
All household members and close contacts should be checked and treated if alive lice are found.
For more information on Head Lice: What Parents Need to Know click on the following link: