Dear Parents or Guardians,

There has been a reported case of lice at school. The first thing is NOT to panic.  Head lice are very common and affect 8-12 million people a year.  Unfortunately head lice have become more and more of a problem over the last few years.  The number of children infested is increasing over the last few years. It is not currently legally allowable to determine the identity or grade of the host.  Parents should resist the urge to assign blame, as it is unproductive, and spreads stigma rather than knowledge.  The good news is although they may be annoying lice is an easily treated condition that is not associated with any serious medical complications.  However, control of head lice depends on prompt diagnosis and effective treatment.  Your help in inspecting your child at least weekly throughout the school year for the presence of head lice is helpful in controlling their spread. .

The following is a list of facts you may find helpful:

1.      Head lice can affect any child from any family.

2.      Cleanliness has nothing to do with getting head lice.

3.      Lice are spread through close, direct physical contact with an infected person. Items such as shared combs, hats, upholstery, jackets, clothing that have come into contact with infested hair can also spread lice.  Please stress to your child NEVER to share any of these items with other children.

4.      Lice have nits (lice eggs) that attach to the hair with a strong, glue-like substance. Typically near the crown of the head, behind the ears, or at the nape of the neck. Unlike dandruff which can easily be dusted off, nits “stick like glue” to the hair and are difficult to pull off.

5.      Lice do not jump or fly.  They die within a day without a human host.

6.      The first signs of lice you may notice are itching, irritation, and redness of the skin or the scalp area.  The actual infestation usually begins 30-35 days before any of these signs appear.

Using the following procedure as a guide may be helpful in inspecting your child's head at home.

1.      Under bright light begin looking at the back of the head just above the neck area.

2.      Part the hair section by section and look closely for head lice or nits (eggs).  Eggs will usually be located near the scalp. You can visit the CDC (centers for disease control) for graphics of what nits and head lice look like.

3.      Depending on the length and thickness of hair.  It should take between 5 and 15 minutes to properly inspect a child's head.

4.      If you suspect head lice it is imperative the school be notified via the school nurse. It is also important to check all family members once lice are suspected.

Once lice are found treatment MUST be done in conjunction with cleaning, or a re-infestation is likely!  Treating head lice without cleaning ALL living environments is leaving your child open for re-infestation.  For children traveling between parents, share this information with everyone involved. The following is a list of suggestions for treatment.

1.      Once you have decided on your treatment product (you may want to call your pediatrician for suggestions) following all directions including any for follow up treatment.

2.      It is essential to remove nits using one's fingers and a fine tooth comb.  A metal fine tooth comb seems to work better then the plastic one included in most kits. Some parents have also found using Pantene conditioner in the hair helps with nit removal.

3.      It is important to continue fine tooth combing your child's hair for at least a week or more to make sure all nits are removed.

4.      Heat is lethal to lice and nits, thus many personal articles can be disinfected by washing them in HOT water (at a temperature of 130 degrees).  This would include bed linens, blankets, comforters and pillows.  Items should be dried on the HOT cycle in the dryer.

5.      Dry clean items that are not washable.

6.      Brushes and combs can be put in boiling water for 10 minutes or replacing them is another option.

7.      Vacuum cloth surfaces in your home such as couches and chairs.  Cloth car seats and children safety seats should also be vacuumed.  Change the bag in the vacuum cleaner after use and discard.

8.      Stuffed animals can be put in the dryer on the HOT cycle for a least thirty minutes or put in to a tight sealed plastic bag for 2 weeks.

9.      Please note there is no scientific evidence that products such as olive oil, mayonnaise or other homeopathic products work to kill or prevent lice.

 Elysian has a nit free policy.  If your child is diagnosed with head lice, they must be nit free to return to class.  You may have your family doctor check or the school nurse can check on their return to school.  When we are notified or diagnosis head lice, the student's entire class and their partner class is also checked.  Periodically we also will do random lice checks.  However, parents are the first line of defense for our school.  Checking your child's hair weekly in partnership with our school protocol can significantly reduce the spread of lice. The CDC website and Harvard school of Public Health also have information and tips on treatment for head lice. They are a good reference.  As always, if you have any questions please call me at school (201)876-0102

   

Sincerely

Diane DeSombre RN