As our children head back-to-school, in addition they head again into shut contact with different children. This implies a rise in publicity to infections, together with lice. Nobody needs their child to get head lice, and we DEFINITELY don’t need them bringing it residence to their mother and father and siblings. What can we do as mother and father to stop head lice, and if our baby is unlucky sufficient to get head lice, what therapy choices are there?
What are head lice?
Head lice (singular: louse) are tiny bugs the scale of a sesame seed. They’re sometimes pale gray however might be any shade. They feed on small quantities of blood from the scalp and can’t survive for greater than sooner or later with no blood meal. Head lice stay for 28 days, and their life cycle has three phases: egg or nit (hatches inside 7-12 days), Nymph (seems to be like an grownup louse however is smaller—concerning the dimension of a pinhead), and grownup louse. A feminine louse can lay as much as 10 eggs per day. Lice lay their eggs near the scalp, and the eggs are oval and concerning the dimension of a knot of thread. They maintain onto the hair floor with a sticky substance. Eggs can mix in with hair shade and be confused for dandruff or hairspray.
A standard thought is that lice are present in heads/hair which might be soiled, however the truth is, lice can equally infect hair that’s clear or soiled. Lice are discovered worldwide in all elements of the nation and cities. No sort of particular person is extra more likely to get head lice. And lice are quite common in school-aged kids. Annually, tens of millions of kids get head lice.
How do head lice unfold?
Lice don’t leap, hop, or fly; they solely crawl. The most typical method they unfold is from shut, extended, head-to-head contact. There’s a very small likelihood they may unfold by sharing objects equivalent to combs, brushes, hats, and sports activities helmets.
What are head lice signs?
The most typical symptom of head lice is itching on the scalp. Nevertheless, it could take 4-6 weeks after lice are on the scalp for itching to start out. Most itching occurs behind the ears and behind the neck. The itching could proceed even after the lice are gone.
How will we verify our youngsters for head lice?
Common checks are good to identify lice earlier than they multiply into massive numbers. To verify, seat your baby in a brightly lit room and half their hair. Search for crawling lice and nits on the scalp one part at a time. Reside lice are exhausting to search out as a result of they keep away from mild and transfer rapidly. Nits appear to be small yellow or brown specks and firmly connect to the hair close to the scalp. The best place to search out them is on the hairline close to the again of the neck or ears. Nits might be firmly hooked up to hair, whereas dandruff isn’t. Use a fine-toothed comb equivalent to a lice or nit comb to comb by way of every part.
What do you do in case your baby has head lice?
First, speak to your baby’s physician earlier than beginning any therapy for head lice. And DO NOT attempt any residence treatments equivalent to gasoline or kerosene. Different residence treatments equivalent to olive oil, mayonnaise, margarine, or important oils have additionally been proven to be ineffective. Efficient lice medicines are in the marketplace; nonetheless, communicate to your baby’s physician earlier than beginning these. They embrace 1% Permethrin lotion, Pyrethrin shampoo, and Ivermectin lotion, all accessible with no prescription. These kill lice however not the eggs so you could want to make use of them a number of occasions.
Additionally accessible with a prescription is Malathion lotion, which kills lice and eggs. It additionally could require a number of purposes. It’s only authorized for youngsters six years and older, has a robust odor, and is flammable. Additionally accessible with a prescription is Spinosad topical suspension, which is authorized for youngsters six months and older and kills lice and lice eggs. Ivermectin tablets are additionally accessible with a prescription, however it is best to solely use them when different therapies have failed.
In case your baby has head lice, it is best to wash their garments and linens in scorching water whereas treating them and verify different family contacts for head lice. Additionally necessary to notice is that the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Nationwide Affiliation of College Nurses don’t help “no nit” insurance policies at faculties, stating that kids with nits should not allowed again at school. In case your baby’s college enforces this, you could need to communicate to your baby’s pediatrician.
Hopefully, all of our youngsters could have a lice-free college 12 months! But when lice do enter your own home, we have now methods to assist! On the lookout for extra back-to-school ideas? Try our latest articles on annual and sports activities physicals, in addition to a glance into whether or not or not it is best to take into account a coronary heart display on your teenage athlete.
Need assistance discovering a pediatrician? We’re right here to assist! Be taught extra about what elements to contemplate when selecting a pediatrician.
