In between the adoring
off-to-school early morning waves and the heavy steps following the settling of noon – lies in a mother’s concern:
A child being sent back to home from school with the dreaded note in hand. Lice note.
Why?
Because head lice infestations are common in school going children. In fact, according to the
Centers of Disease Control and Prevention an estimated 6 million to 12 million infestations occur each year in the United States among children 3 to 11 years of age.
You don’t have to panic though; head lice do not cause problems beyond scalp itching. And furthermore, by following some preventative tips, you can even lessen the risk of head lice infestation in your child. After all, prevention is better than cure – isn’t it?
So, let’s get started…
Tip #1: Know Thy Enemy
What are head lice? How do they spread? What are the different life cycle stages of a head louse? What does a head louse look like? What’s the appearance of nits?
Start with educating yourself about head lice. Learn everything about them that is there to learn.
Tip #2: Perform Regular Head Checks
No one cares about head lice, until they or someone else in their family get infested with these not-so-welcome bugging guests.
Naturally, they don’t actively look for them either. But that is exactly what you shouldn’t be doing; you should schedule monthly checks to make sure that your child doesn’t contract head lice. And in cases, where a head louse eventually jumps ship to board on your child’s head, a routine checkup would help control and eliminate any infestation in early stages.
Tip #3: Educate Your Child
Head lice spread from head-to-head contact and sharing of personal items. You should communicate this information to your child and advise them to avoid sharing of hats, headband, comb and brushes, headphones and scarves with others.
Tip #4: Regularly Trim Your Child’s Hair
Children and adults should get their hair trimmed once every 8 to 12 weeks. Head lice are more likely to contract individuals having long hair.
Tip #5: Wash Your Child’s Belongings Often
Items such as pillowcases, sleeping bags, bed sheets, hats, brushes and cardigans should be washed on a weekly basis. Although head lice do not prefer living off a host, sometimes they can be found crawling their way on personal belongings.
These simple tips can drastically cut down the risk of head lice infestation in your child. And where you find yourself struggling with lice woes as a parent, feel free to reach out, our expert
lice doctors Plantation would be happy to serve you.
