Although lice are not seasonal, most parents see a spike in lice infestations during the long summer. That’s because many children go off to camp and interact with children outside their usual friends’ circle.
They also engage in activities that require them huddled together in close proximity of one another.
This is why if even a few kids have lice, the whole camp may end up contracting them. A recently conducted
study showed how around 500 summer camps reported lice infestations over three years.
To prevent your kids’ summer camp vacation from becoming a lice infestation haven, the following preventative measures should be taken.
Educate Your Children About Lice
As you arm your kids with bottles of bug spray and sunscreen for summer camp, arm them with the knowledge about lice as well. Give them a friendly reminder about not having too much head-to-head contact with anyone, and not sharing hats or hair brushes.
An Informed Camp Staff
With so much fun to be had, children probably won’t worry much about head lice and will not pay much heed to preventative measures. It is then the duty of the camp staff to be on the lookout for any signs of lice infestation.
A well-informed camp staff that knows what to look for can immediately spot the telltale signs and can help make proper treatment available. Since lice infestations at summer camp have become so common, it is the duty of the camp to have preventative measures and proper polices in place.
In-Camp Lice Treatments
All summer camps handle lice treatment differently. The American Academy of Pediatrics and CDC recommend that camps get professional in-camp lice removal services done and then allow the kids to interact with other children, with proper preventative measures in place.
On the other hand, The National Pediculosis Association suggests that kids who have lice can be temporary removed and then allowed back when there are no signs of infestations left. It is encouraged that either one of the policies should be taken up so that infestations can be dealt with swiftly and effectively.
Remember, lice can happen to anyone, so it is important that camps and parents combine to help remove the stigma around it.
In case there’s a lice infestation at the camp’s premises, the camp management is advised to immediately call in professional lice removal services. Here at
Lice Troopers Miami, we are a head lice removal service based in Miami and offer
camp and school screenings to effectively deal with lice outbreaks.
