Head Lice

Head lice were nearly eradicated in the 1940s through the use of strong pesticides like DDT. Since pesticide use on people has been banned, however, these annoying parasites have come back with a vengeance. The good news about head lice is that they don't carry disease and are easily treated.

Lice are highly contagious; they can spread between people who have never met, via upholstered theater seats, department store clothing or coat checkrooms. In the presence of a head louse, no child or adult is invulnerable—no matter how scrupulous the family's hygiene.

Although head lice can strike any one at any age, they are the most common among school children because schools have communal coat closets, where lice spread easily among closely hung hats, scarves and jackets. The practice of sharing hair ornaments, common in school-age girls, also promotes the spread of lice.

WHEN SHOULD I SUSPECT HEAD LICE?
Look for the following signs:

• Intense scalp itching, particularly behind the ears and along the hair line at the back of the neck; the itching results from a skin reaction to the saliva of the lice.

• Lice eggs (nits), which appear as tiny, silvery clumps virtually cemented to the hair shaft near the roots.

IS MEDICAL ATTENTION NECESSARY?
Yes. If your child has head lice, you will probably be able to tell; the signs are hard to miss. For treatment recommendations, though, it is best to consult a physician.

WHAT TREATMENTS ARE AVAILABLE?
Unfortunately, there is no single-step method for curing lice infestation. You will have to follow each of these steps:

• Kill the adults with a lice-killing shampoo applied vigorously. Dangerous kerosene shampoos, used in the past, have been replaced by pyrethrin shampoos, which are available without prescription. Pyrethrin is a natural pesticide that is deadly to lice but safe for people.

• Follow the antilice treatment with a regular shampoo.

• Pick the nits with a fine-tooth comb, removing every egg bonded to the hair shaft. It may help to dip the comb in a solution of equal parts vinegar and water to loosen the nits. Start removing the nits while the hair is still wet. Part hair into four sections. Then pull up a one-inch tuft and comb it carefully from base to tip. Comb meticulously, frequently wiping nits from the comb with a tissue. Keep the hair wet during the process. The process can take an hour or longer if the chid has long, thick hair, so provide some distraction, such as TV or a video game. A week to ten days later, repeat the entire process to catch any nits missed on the first round.

PREVENTING REINFESTATION
To remove any surviving lice or nits (which can take as long as a month to hatch), observe the following procedures:

• Immediately sterilize all personal clothing, bed linens and stuffed animals belonging to the infested child. Wash them in hot water (at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit), dry them in the sun or put them in a hot dryer for at least 20 minutes, or have them dry-cleaned.

• Vacuum all upholstered furniture thoroughly and treat with Lysol or lice spray. Do the same for rugs and other objects that cannot be cleansed in the washing machine.

• Check all other family members for lice and nits. Follow the same procedures on any other infested person.

PREVENTING HEAD LICE

• Teach your child not to share combs, brushes, hats or clothing.

• If your child's day-care center or preschool has only open coat closets, ask about the possibility of installing individual lockers or cubbies.

GETTING HELP
Call your doctor if:

• Scratching has caused open sores on the scalp

• A child under two is affected

• Itching is so unbearable that medication is necessary

• You are not sure whether lice are the cause of the problem

Excerpt from THE DISNEY ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BABY & CHILD CARE, © 1995 DSH Communications, Inc. This material is based on current medical research and, to the best of the editors' knowledge and understanding, is accurate and valid. However the reader should not use information contained in this material to alter a medically prescribed regimen or as a form of self-treatment, without seeking the advice of a licensed physician.