Kids 'should be checked for head lice once a week'

Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 04/09/2012. Kids 'should be checked for head lice once a week'

Tags: Parenting Kids Health

Parents have been advised to check their children for head lice at least once a week now the new school year has begun.

Pharmacist with the Irish Pharmacy Union Grannie O'Leary explained how there is no way to prevent youngsters from contracting nits, the Irish Independent reports.

However, "the earlier the infection is detected, the easier it is to manage", meaning parents should establish a routine of regularly wet-combining their children's hair to check for lice.

School pupils can easily contract head lice due to the close proximity with other children and so once one child has nits, the infestation will often spread among a class.

An itchy head can be a sign that a youngster has lice and, if eggs are visible, it is important to immediately treat the condition.

Parents were warned not to use products as a precaution on clean hair, as the treatments do not prevent infestations from occurring.

Written by Donal Walsh ADNFCR-2163-ID-801441697-ADNFCR

Comments

jacquelyn

(05-09-2012 00:05)

I disagree there are plenty of ways to prevent head lice! There are many products out on the market today those combined with some quick tips you can absolutely prevent it. Follow me on FB at simple head lice solutions to find out how.

Louise o sullivan

(05-09-2012 10:17)

Head lice are a pain but part of every child's life. The first sign of itching you should go through your child's hair. Plenty of conditioner in the hair and go through with a fine tooth comb, but make sure you get really close to the scalp as the little critters love it there. You will not get rid of the nits doing this so you will need to go through it again a couple of days later and a couple of days after that again. You can use the chemicals on the hair but really there is not any need to if you go through with the conditioner. I'm a childminder and have had kids who have had them but keep calm and stay on top of them. It's a myth that they only go for clean heads and that they only live in long hair. Not true. I was a hairdresser for 20 yrs so speaking from experience.

Richard Pollack, PhD

(04-09-2012 10:58)

Nits 'louse eggs' are not transmissible. There are yet other bits of questionable information in this short article. Educational guidance on the biology of head lice can be found online at IdentifyUS.