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Pediculosis ( Head Lice )
(5 Questions)
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1.
What happens if my child is found to have head lice?
Click on the question for the answer.
According to the nursing standing orders, a child found to have live head lice is sent home from school to be treated. The student is to be excluded from school until this initial treatment is done. The nurse will check the student's hair upon return from school and every day until no nits are seen in the hair. The student may return to school with nits, but not with live lice. In the event of chronic cases of lice, the nurse can use her discretion for the student to be excluded with nits only. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to remove the nits from the student's hair. Your school nurse is there to give you support and to educate you on what to do to eliminate the lice from your child and home.
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2.
How do I treat head lice?
Click on the question for the answer.
The best defense against pediculosis (lice) at school is diligent monitoring at home. Should your child have nit (eggs) or lice:
- Treat with over the counter medications - for homeopathic/alternative treatments contact your pediatrician. If this is a persistent or recurring issue contact your treating doctor for recommendations and/or prescriptions.
- The parent/guardian is advised to continue to comb out nits daily with specialized comb. The child can come to school with nits but should not come with active lice infestation.
- Clean recently used linens, coats, hats, and clothing in hot water. Put stuffed animals in a plastic bag for two weeks. Vacuum rugs and furniture. Soak combs and brushes in hot, not boiling, water for 10 minutes.
- A second treatment is required in 7 days. No treatments kill the nits, so they need to be removed to prevent hatching and reinfestation.
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4.
Do head lice jump from person to person?
No. Head lice do not jump. They can move off of a host and go onto their hat, coat, couch, stuffed animal, bedding, brush, etc. and then it can be transferred to a new person when they come in contact with this item. Transfer can also happen with direct head to head contact.
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