Head lice is a common condition and is not associated with lack of cleanliness. While lice are a nuisance, they are not dangerous. Please take care to check your child’s head for lice on a regular basis.
Educate your child on these preventative methods:
- Head lice are mostly spread by direct head-to-head contact. Lice do not jump or fly.
- Avoid head-to-head contact during play and other activities at home, school, and elsewhere such as sports activities, playground, slumber parties, camp.
- Less often, lice are spread via objects that have been in contact with a person with head lice, such as hats, scarves, hair ribbons, combs, brushes, stuffed animals or bedding.
- Do not share these personal items.
- Pets do not get lice.
What to Look for:
- Itching/scratching of head, especially at the back of the head and neck.
- Nits on the hair, close to the scalp. These are usually pearly-grey or brown in color and are tightly attached to the hair shaft.
- Dandruff is easily removed, whereas nits cannot be brushed or swept away.
What to Do If You Find Lice:
- Treat your child with lice treatment recommended by your healthcare provider or pharmacist. Follow all instructions carefully.
- Seat child in a well-lit area, check the hair in small sections looking for lice and nits.
- Work to remove nits by using a nit comb and/or pulling them off the hair shaft with fingernails and dispose of in a sealed plastic bag.
- Check heads of household members. Treat if live lice are found.
- Daily head checks are recommended for the next 2 weeks.
- Wash your child’s towels, bedsheets and recently worn clothing in hot water and dryer.
- Clean combs and brushes used by the child by soaking them in water at least 130°F, for 5–10 minutes.
- Place non-washable items, such as stuffed toys in a sealed plastic bag for 2 weeks. Hatched nits/lice cannot survive more than 2 days without a human host.
- Vacuum furniture, rugs, floors, and the vehicles where the child has been.
Note: Spending excessive time and money on house cleaning activities is not necessary to avoid re-infestation by lice or nits. Do not use fumigant sprays; they can be toxic if inhaled or absorbed through skin.
The school would appreciate notification if your child gets head lice. All information is completely confidential. Please contact your child’s school office or school nurse if you have additional questions or concerns.