They're a little gross, somewhat annoying and for most parents, inevitable. It also seems to me that for most of us they show up at the most inconvenient times. I'm talking about lice. With school coming to an end this month, you may think your child's chances of picking up the little bugs will diminish. Unfortunately, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) most cases of lice occur outside school. Between summer camp, sports and play dates there are still plenty of opportunities for lice to take shelter on the head of at least one family member. They're certainly no picnic to deal with and they can also be unwittingly contagious during the school years. Clearly there's nothing to be ashamed of when discovering lice but it doesn't always feel that way. New guidelines from the AAP out last month offer some tips for getting your family lice-free as quickly as possible. Acting fast with a plan often diminishes all sorts of anxiety and discomfort for all.
Details In The AAP Clinical Report
- Respect: children should not be restricted from attending school because of lice. Lice aren't dangerous nor are they a medical problem; they're more of a nuisance than anything. Some children don't show symptoms/itching for 4 weeks after infesting, therefore it makes zero sense to urgently send a child home (sometimes they've been walking around school with lice for a month). Sending children home also creates undue stigma and hasn't shown to improve rates of recurrence or spread.
New Recommendations For Treatment
- If lice are resistant to OTC medications or you suspect you're not getting rid of them despite great treatment routines, involve your pediatrician. They may recommend prescription medications such as spinosad or topical ivermectin. I will note that ivermectin is expensive but does have the benefit of requiring only a one-time treatment and no combing. The medication has few side effects and impairs lice (and future hatching lice) by paralyzing them thus making it impossible for them to feed on the scalp and survive.
What Parents Need To Know
- Lice are very common in children between the ages of 3 -12. With the first case, itching may not happen for 4-6 weeks after exposure. You may find lots of lice (don't freak) as lice can lay up to 10 eggs a day and we often don't discover lice in the first few days. If your child gets lice know you can deal with it rapidly and it will go away...
Seattle Mama Doc article (the day I came home just before a big trip and found lice)
Healthy Children lice information
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