Head Lice

 Head lice can become a problem once children start attending school and begin mixing with a larger circle of friends, and tend to affect girls more than boys as they are more likely to have long hair. However, this is a very common problem, can be easily treated and almost no children manage to avoid having head lice at one time or another, so it is nothing to be too concerned about.

'Nits' is the name given to their eggs, which are firmly cemented onto the hair. An adult female louse is 3-4 mm long, lives for approximately 40 days, and will lay around 300 eggs in that time (around 8 per day). The eggs hatch after a week, so an infestation can rapidly take hold. They feed on blood, which causes the irritation. Contrary to popular belief, head lice cannot jump, so will not spread from one head to another without close contact. It is also possible to transmit lice on brushes and combs, as well as hats, so children should be discouraged from sharing these items.

Preparations to treat head lice can be purchased from a pharmacy, and are the best way to effectively eradicate an infestation. Speak to your pharmacist for advice on the latest recommended preparation, as this can change due to lice becoming resistant. Most products recommend a second application a week after the first, in order to kill any lice that have hatched following the first treatment. Carefully combing the hair with a fine-tooth ‘nit comb’ can help to remove dead lice.

Although you may feel embarrassed that your child has head lice, it is important to inform the child’s class teacher so that other children in the class can be checked by their parents, and treated if necessary. If this is not done, rapid re-infestation can occur. If your child has head lice, everyone in the household should be checked too, they like adults just as much as children!

Although unpleasant, lice are not associated with poor hygiene. Prompt treatment is necessary to prevent possible secondary bacterial infection from excessive scratching.