Back to School: What Parents Need to Know About Lice

What are lice?

Head lice are insects that feed on the blood of humans and cling to the neck and scalp. Lice are tiny (about the size of a sesame seed) and aren't always easy to see. Lice eggs (known as nits) are even harder to spot and are found near the scalp.

Who gets lice?

Young children attending elementary school, day care or preschool are most susceptible. At this age, kids play together closely and tend to share hats, brushes and hair clips.

How do they spread?

Lice spread when there is head-to-head contact allowing them to crawl into one person's hair from another's. Lice can also survive for a short time on items such as a hairbrush, but cannot fly or jump from one person to another.

How to spot them?

Lice and nits are visible to the naked eye and can be brown, dark gray or white. They are usually found behind the ears or at the back of the neck. Nits are found on the hairs near the scalp and look like round specks. Parents are often told that combing through hair when it is wet is the best way to spot them.

What symptoms do they cause?

Most of the time, lice do not cause discomfort. The most common symptom is itching that may begin weeks or months after the infestation begins.

How are they treated?

If you think your child has lice, call your doctor so that they can confirm it. Also let your child's day care or school know so that they can check the other children. Other members of the household should also be checked.

Safe lice treatments can be found over the counter, and their instructions should be followed carefully. Sometimes a second treatment is needed a week to two weeks later.  If two treatments do not get rid of the lice, be sure to see your doctor for something stronger.

It is also a good idea to wash clothing that has been worn in the past 48 hours as well as bedding in hot water.

How to prevent lice?

Unfortunately, there is not much you can do to prevent head lice. The best defense is to examine your child's scalp and hair on a regular basis to catch an infestation early. Prompt treatment will help prevent the bugs from spreading to others.

Photo credit: WebMD