The parents of this Grandma’s grandchildren were born in Florida. I never heard of head lice before until they started school in Florida. I thought head lice must be a Southern thing, hot climate and all.
But no, a long (we never say old) grandma friend said her grandchildren who live up north came home with head lice and the problem is rampant up north. Now I wanted to know more as it seems that head lice are everywhere.
The New York Times explains much in its Health Section:
“Head lice are tiny insects that live on the skin covering the top of your head (scalp). Head lice may also be found in eyebrows and eyelashes. Lice can be spread by close contact with other people. Head lice infect hair on the head. Tiny eggs on the hair look like flakes of dandruff. However, instead of flaking off the scalp, they stay put. Head lice can live up to 30 days on a human. Their eggs can live for more than 2 weeks. Head lice spread easily, particularly among school children. Head lice are more common in close, overcrowded living conditions.”
“You can get head lice if you: Come in close contact with a person who has lice. Touch the clothing or bedding of someone who has lice. Share hats, towels, brushes, or combs of someone who has had lice.”
“Having head lice causes intense itching, but does not lead to serious medical problems. Unlike body lice, head lice never carry or spread diseases. Having head lice does NOT mean the person has poor hygiene or low social status.”
I remember that there was an awful smelling shampoo and cleanser I had to use on the children thirty years ago, wash all the bedding in the house, pick nits out of their hair, and repeat. It was awful. We also had to keep the children home for a while until we were sure they were no longer infected. Other parents were not so compulsive about the head lice and the children tended to be reinfected. It was a nightmare.
Now, apparently, there are newer and more modern techniques for fighting head lice. The New York Times, June 1, 2015, had an article, “New Tactics for Battling Head Lice.” The author, Jane E. Brody, says that last month the American Academy of Pediatrics updated its advice to doctors on how to battle head lice. Here is the link to Academy’s information:
What is interesting is the transmission portion of the Academy publication which states that “head lice cannot hop or jump; they can only crawl, and pets do not play a role in the transmission of human lice . . . .In most cases, transmission occurs by direct contact. Indirect spread through contact with personal belongings of an infested individual (combs, brushes, hats) is much less likely to occur.Lice found on combs are likely to be injured or dead, and a louse is not likely to leave a healthy head unless there is a heavy infestation. In 1 study, live lice were found on only 4% of pillowcases used by infested volunteers. Thus, the major focus of control activities should be to reduce the number of lice on the head and to lessen the risks of head-to-head contact.”
A few of the summary of key points are very interesting, especially the first after what was in the study previously that “it is unlikely that all head lice infestations can be prevented, because young children come into head-to-head contact with each other frequently. “
The first key point states that “no healthy child should be excluded from school or allowed to miss school time because of head lice or nits. Pediatricians may educate school communities that no-nit policies for return to school should be abandoned.”
What! Should I now feel guilty that I thought ill of parents who did not keep their children home? It seems that it is the parents who must be vigilant: “head lice screening programs have not been proven to have a significant effect over time on the incidence of head lice in the school setting and are not cost-effective. Parent education programs may be helpful in the management of head lice in the school setting” Ms. Brody agrees and says: “hatched insects feed by injecting small amounts of saliva to expand blood vessels and prevent clotting, then sucking tiny amounts of blood every few hours. Itching, caused by sensitization to the saliva, may not start until four to six weeks after a first infestation, which speaks to the value of weekly head checks.”
The study lists treatments and how to use them, but Ms. Brody summarizes well in her article.
“Effective over-the-counter remedies listed by the academy include a cream rinse called Nix applied to damp hair after it is shampooed (without conditioner) and towel dried. Nix, which contains 1 percent permethrin, is a synthetic pyrethroid that is “least toxic to humans” and “less allergenic” than its parent compound, pyrethrins. It is rinsed off with warm water after 10 minutes (over the sink, not in the shower or tub, to minimize skin exposure). Residue left on the hair can kill emerging nymphs as long as no shampoo is used. A second treatment nine days later is optimal, the academy states.”
“Among prescription remedies, the newest, called Sklice, containing 0.5 percent ivermectin, requires only one application to dry hair and scalp that is rinsed off after 10 minutes. When treated eggs hatch, the nymphs cannot feed because the medication paralyzes their throat muscles. Another recent prescription treatment, Natroba (0.9 percent spinosad), derived from soil bacteria, kills both live lice and unhatched eggs, eliminating the need for retreatment and nit combing.”
“Whichever product you may use, first check the age for which it is safe, and never exceed the amount recommended. And continue to check treated heads for two to three weeks to be sure all lice and nits are gone.”
Ugh! I remember how distasteful all of this was as a parent. It is just as distasteful as a grandparent. The new prescription remedies seem to make the process of getting rid of head lice a little less burdensome, but not much. This Grandma thinks the parents of the younger grandchildren have the best preventative measure–they buzz cut the grandsons’ hair. Now, I must ask if head lice has figured into this choice of haircut.
Why does my head itch as I write this post!
Joy,
Mema
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