A Note from Your School Health Room/ Clinic/ School Nurse LICE According to a recent article published in Pediatric Nursing, a spike in head lice cases is often seen after a school break. These are times when children commonly have sleepovers, go to camp, or visit relatives. Head lice are wingless insects with six legs. They cannot jump, fly or even crawl long distances. Schools are rarely a source for transmission, accounting for only approximately 1% of cases. Much more common sources are family members, overnight guests and playmates that spend a large amount of time together. Itching of the head is the primary symptom. Head lice tend to be found behind the ears and the neckline at the back of the head. A full grown adult louse is about the size of a sesame seed and can be tan to grayish-white in color. Despite their tiny size, the eggs, called nits, are usually found more easily because they are not moving. Nits are oval-shaped and attached firmly to the hair. They can appear yellow, white or the color of the person’s hair. If you suspect your child has head lice, please contact your School Nurse for information regarding detection and treatment. Here are some helpful tips and guidelines: • Please screen your family members once a week, every week, making it a part of your family’s health routine. • Please remind your children to refrain sharing personal items with others. Items such as combs, hairbrushes, hats, hair accessories, helmets, and headphones, bath/ beach towels or clothing can all be sources of lice. • Many children experience no symptoms. Some symptoms may include scratching, red hive-like bumps on the scalp, head, or neck, irritated scalp from scratching, sleeplessness. Early detection is our best prevention. For more information about the Health Care District’s School Health program visit: www.hcdpbc.org/schoolhealth
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