Lice is an easily treatable condition that is generally not associated with any serious complications.

Head lice are usually transmitted through:

• Close personal contact or through the sharing of caps, hats, coats, combs, brushes, and/or other grooming aids with persons infested with head lice.

• Contact with pillows, bedding, upholstery and carpet where an infested person has been, etc. 

Many parents have the impression that a person becomes infested with head lice because s/he is unclean. This in NOT true. Frequent bathing neither prevents head lice nor eliminates the infestation.

Head lice are elongated insects about (--) long and are grayish-white color. They do not have wings, nor can the jump, they crawl. They do move very quickly which can make it hard to find in a child's hair. Because they can be so hard to see, the diagnosis of head lice is often made by examining the scalp for nits. A nit is a louse egg. It is tear-shaped, about (/) in size, and varies in color from white to yellowish-brown. Head lice attach each nit to a hair shaft in a waterproof, cementlike substance. This means the nits cannot be washed or brushed out of the hair or scalp like dandruff and other such particles that sometimes look like nits to naked eye. Cluster of nits may be found in any section of the hair so a careful examination should be made of the entire scalp.

Whenever a student is found to be infested with head lice, his/her parent/guardian will be notified of the infestation and requested to pick the child up immediately. Additionally, the student will be told of the infestation and reassured that it is a very treatable condition and nothing to be ashamed of. The student will also be educated in the transmission of lice and told not to share combs, hats, etc. with others.

When the parent picks up his/her child, the parent will be informed that the student needs to be treated and nit and lice free before s/he returns to school. The student will be permitted to return to school after it is confirmed by clinic staff that the child is free of any live lice and nits. A reasonable length of time for lice/nit removal to occur is two (2) days.

If a parent discovers one of their children have lice at home, the parent should notify the clinic staff in his/her child's school.  They should also notify all individuals who have been in close contact with the child within the past 7 days.

Procedure for treatment and follow-up:

• Parents are to treat the child with a lice-removal product at home, following exact directions.

• They also are to treat the home environment by vacuuming, and washing bed linens, clothing, brushes, and sports helmets.

• The student may return to school after treatment and if no live lice and/or nits are found in the hair.

• When the student returns, s/he is checked by the health services staff.

• Parents need to continue to check for eggs (nits) and lice by combing the hair daily.

•  A second lice-removal treatment should be done 5-7 days after the first treatment even if no nits or live lice are found.

• Parents should check for nits and comb their child's hair until no lice are found for two (2) weeks.

• Parents should continue to observe their children for signs of head lice - scratching, redness at the nape of the neck, and nits attached to the hair shaft, mostly behind the ears and at the base of the neck.

• Parents are encouraged to check with their pediatrician for any recommended treatment.

• If more information is needed, please refer to the Centers for Disease Control website: www.cdc.gov.

   

If you have any questions about lice or would like a clinic staff person to check your student for lice, please contact the clinic staff in the school your child attends.