Head
Lice Alert
Head lice, as in many schools across Massachusetts, has surfaced at Nixon! Please be sure to take time while at home to check your child's head for the presence of nits (eggs). (If you do discover a case of head lice, please let the Health Office know so the rest of the class can be monitored.)
Parents finding lice in its early stage is the only way to reduce and eliminate the spread. Lice are communicable and difficult to prevent, but if every parent/guardian takes the responsibility to check the entire family’s hair and scalp often, these parasites can be controlled. This is not a simple problem to deal with, but the following information should help you identify and treat lice.
OUR PROCEDURE WHEN WE FIND LICE
1. When a case of head lice is found, the school nurse will go into that classroom check the remaining students. The school nurse also checks the siblings of any student’s with head lice. This is done because frequently head lice can be found on more than one family member. If a sibling(s) also is discovered to have head lice, likewise, the students in that classroom will be checked.
2. If any additional cases are discovered, those families will be notified via a phone call home. A head lice information sheet is distributed to the entire grade level when a case of head lice is found because so many students have shared outside activities with other children. From this point on, the notice will indicate whether the case of head lice was found in the child’s classroom or the child’s grade level.
3. Teachers are asked to have students store coats and hats in their own backpacks, so that lice do not crawl from one item to another.
4. After a two week period, the school nurse rechecks the classroom to look for any previously undetected early cases of head lice.
5. We encourage all parents/guardians to check your child(ren)'s head for the presence of nits (eggs). (If you do discover a case of head lice, please contact the school nurse in the Health Office so she can check the rest of the class.) Parents finding lice in the early stages is the only way to reduce and eliminate the spread. Lice are communicable and can be difficult to prevent, but if every parent/guardian takes the responsibility to check the entire family’s hair and scalp often, these parasites can be controlled. The following information should help you identify and treat lice.
HOW DO YOU GET LICE?
Many people associate lice with unclean people or homes. This is not true in the case of head lice. Frequent bathing or shampooing will not prevent lice nor eliminate them once they are established. Lice cannot jump or fly, and are only transmitted by contact with an infested person, wearing infested clothing, or using an infested comb or brush. Children should be instructed not to share hats, headbands, clothing, brushes and combs with others.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Lice are small insects about the size of a sesame seed. They are usually light brown but can vary in color. They move quickly and shy away from light, making it difficult to see them.
Diagnosis is more often made on the basis of finding nits (eggs). These are tiny, yellowish-white oval-shaped specks attached to the hair shafts near the scalp. They resemble a tiny grain of rice attached to the side of the hair shaft.
Newly-laid nits are usually found 1/2” from the scalp, however, they can be found anywhere along the hair shaft. As she deposits her eggs, the female louse cements them to the hairs and unlike lint or dandruff, they will not wash off or blow away.
Nits may be found throughout the hair, but are most often located at the nape of the neck, behind the ears, and frequently on the crown of the head. It may help to use a magnifying glass or reading glasses and natural light when searching for them. The purchase of nonprescription magnifying reading glasses can be very helpful when trying to locate nits.
Adult female louse - highly magnified
SYMPTOMS OF INFESTATION
The itching which occurs when lice bite and suck blood from the scalp is a primary symptom of infestation, although not everyone will experience the itching. Children seen scratching their heads frequently should be examined at once. Often red bite marks can be seen on the scalp and nape of the neck. In severe infestations, a child may develop swollen glands in the neck or under the arms.
TREATMENT
Treatment is directed both toward the individual, their personal articles and environment. Before one family member is treated, all should be examined. Those showing evidence of infestation should all be treated at the same time. Individual treatment is a two-step process involving the use of a pediculicidal shampoo/rinse and nit removal. Proceed as follows:
