It is common for school nurses to find cases of head lice amongst the students this time of the year. A handful of cases were reported to me this week. Primarily in the second grade. It is important for everyone to review the following information about head lice to help us better manage this pesty problem.
Head lice is nothing to be ashamed of. Cleanliness and personal hygiene have NOT been linked to contracting head lice. If cases of head lice are reported or found in your child's class, I will check the class for lice. In addition, the students and I discuss lice and the things we can do to prevent the spread of lice. I also send a letter home to remind parents to be on alert for signs or symptoms of lice. I am, of course, sensitive to the students' feelings and treat each case confidentially. The parents of students with lice are notified and provided with the necessary information to ensure successful treatment. The students are treated appropriately by their parents and re-checked prior to returning to school.
The following are important lice facts to keep in mind:
- Lice do NOT jump or fly. They only crawl.
- Lice spread from DIRECT head to head contact and, therefore, schools are NOT the primary source of transmission. Camps, daycare, sleepovers, playdates, etc. are the common source.
- Once on a head, lice prefer to stay on the head (close to its food source). Spreading primarily occurs once a full infestation exists and the lice are looking for a new home. Therefore, catching and treating lice early is important. Please check your children for lice regularly.
- It takes weeks for lice infestation to occur, so students can be in school with lice for weeks undetected. Therefore, please reinforce avoiding direct head to head contact with your children and encourage your child with long hair to keep hair tied up in a ponytail or braid.
Please watch for the following symptoms in your child:
- Intense itching of the scalp.
- Regularly check the nape of the neck and behind the ears for lice eggs (called nits). Nits are usually whitish ovals that glue themselves to the hair shafts and cannot be removed easily.
- Adult lice are tiny, grayish-brown, wingless insects and shy away from light. They are harder to see than the nits.
- If you find lice or any nits, it means your child has head lice.
- If your child has head lice, please contact me immediately so other children in the class can be checked. If your child has lice, they will need to be treated before re-entering school. Each case will, of course, be treated confidentially.
***For more lice information, please refer to the Lice Handbook on the Jefferson Township website (click link for District Offfices, then Health Services, then Forms & Documents)
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to me at (973) 697-4777 ext. 5535.
