Lice and Children

How Did My Child Get Lice?

Children are among the most commonly affected by lice. Having lice does not mean your child is dirty or has poor hygiene—on the contrary, lice prefer clean hair as it is easier to latch onto. Children get lice simply from interacting with someone who already has lice. Direct physical contact with an infected individual will result in infection in your child. Most likely they have shared something such as a hat, scarf, stereo headphones, or athletic gear with another child who is infected. Children aged 3-10 are the most likely candidates for contracting lice.

First Step Towards Lice Treatment:

If you discover that your child does indeed have lice, it’s time to inspect each family member to see if they’ve contacted them, too. Inspect at the base of the neck and behind the ears for little white oval cases (nits). Nits are tiny, but can be seen with the naked eye and a good light. Nits conglomerate as clusters around the hairs and need body heat to hatch. They are not easily removable as they are firmly attached.

Lice Treatment:

Call your physician and ask for their advice about an over-the-counter shampoo or treatment to treat lice. They will usually recommend Rid or Nix or something along those lines—these shampoos contain 1% permethrin, which is the active ingredient that will kill lice. Comb the hair meticulously after you have used the product—it usually comes with a fine-tooth comb necessary for dislodging nits from the hair. It is recommended that you use the product again 7-10 days after the first application, just to make certain all lice are killed.

Prevention of Lice Re-Infestation:

Make sure to machine wash all clothing, bedding, and fabrics in hot water and detergent and dry on high heat.  Dry clean anything that can’t go in the washer, or else seal it in plastic for about ten days so the lice die off. Soak all combs and brushes in a disinfectant for at least an hour. You can purchase lice control sprays at your local drug store—use these to spray on all furniture and fabric surfaces. Vacuum thoroughly, and remember to let your child know not to share or borrow combs, brushes, hats, helmets, etc. from other children at school.

Resistance to Lice Treatment:

Parents are often conflicted about how to treat their children for lice. There are home remedies that can be extremely effective, although it should be noted that recent reports have indicated that lice are becoming more and more resistant to traditional treatments. It is not known why this is the case. If over the counter methods are not helping eradicate the problem, it is recommended that you contact your pediatrician for more insight and stronger treatment.