After the first week back at school, imagine your child starts complaining of an itchy scalp. At first, you shrug it off as dandruff or dry skin, but as you look closer, you spot the telltale signs of head lice.
What exactly are these pesky critters, and how did your child most likely get them?
What are head lice?
Head lice are tiny, parasitic insects that live on the human scalp and feed on blood. They mainly spread through head-to-head contact with another person who has a lice infestation. While annoying and uncomfortable, having head lice isn’t a sign of poor hygiene and they don’t spread diseases.
Back-to-school season and lice infestations
Back-to-school season is a prime time for the spread of head lice. Among children 3 to 11 years old, there are between 6 million and 12 million lice infestations each year in the United States.
Schools are breeding grounds for lice infestations for a few reasons:
- Proximity: Schools are filled with children in close contact, making it easy for lice to spread from head to head.
- Shared belongings: Children often share hats, hairbrushes and other personal items, which can harbor lice eggs.
- Increased stress: The excitement and busyness of the back-to-school season can distract parents from regularly checking their children's heads for lice.
Signs of head lice
If your child has head lice, you’ll notice certain signs and symptoms. You may see:
- Nits: Tiny, oval-shaped white or yellowish eggs firmly attached to the hair shaft, typically close to the scalp
- Live lice: Small, grayish-white insects that may be visible crawling on the hair or scalp
Your child may experience symptoms of head lice that include:
- A feeling like something is moving or crawling on their scalp
- An uncontrollable urge to scratch due to irritation caused by lice bites
- Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep due to discomfort or restlessness
- General crankiness or mood changes potentially linked to lice infestation
How to check your child for lice
If your child has symptoms of a lice infestation, it’s important to check their scalp. Here’s how to do it:
- Get comfortable in an area with good lighting.
- Have your child sit down in front of you with their back toward you.
- Use a fine-tooth comb to part your child's hair and examine the scalp and hair shafts closely.
- Look for tiny, oval-shaped white or yellowish eggs (nits) and small, grayish-white insects that are about the size of a sesame seed (lice).
If you spot any nits or lice, follow these steps:
- Notify close contacts: Let loved ones and your child's school know about the lice.
- Use a lice treatment product: Both over-the-counter and prescription shampoos can get rid of head lice. Follow the product instructions carefully.
- Comb out nits: After using the lice treatment, use a fine-tooth comb to remove any remaining nits.
- Wash bedding and clothing: Wash items in hot water (at least 130°F) and dry on high heat to kill any lice or eggs.
- Soak combs and brushes: Use hot water (minimum of 130°F) and soak for at least five to 10 minutes.
- Vacuum carpets and furniture: This helps remove any lice that may have fallen off the head.
- Avoid sharing personal items: Until the infestation is cleared, avoid sharing hats, hairbrushes and other personal items.
Should your child stay home from school if they have lice?
Since head lice spread so easily, some parents wonder if they should keep their children home from school during an outbreak. In the past, the California Department of Public Health’s policy was that children couldn’t go back to school unless all nits were removed from their hair. This was commonly referred to as the “no-nit policy.”
The current CDPH policy states that children with head lice or nits may attend school. The department made this change because there is no proof that implementing a no-nit policy can stop lice outbreaks or lessen their duration. This policy is supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Association of School Nurses and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
If school staff notice lice or suspect a student has lice, they are required to tell the child’s parent or caregiver at the end of the school day. They should also provide the parents with educational materials to help them treat and manage lice. Regardless of lice or nit presence, the CDPH policy allows students to continue attending school. But if lice or signs of infestation continue, the school is required to notify parents.
Staying calm during a lice outbreak
If you’re notified about a lice outbreak at your child’s school this season, try to stay calm. Check your child for head lice immediately and treat their hair if you see signs of lice.
You can help your child avoid getting lice by teaching them to avoid:
- Head-to-head contact with other children, especially when playing and engaging at playgrounds, slumber parties, camps and sports
- Sharing any personal items such as hats, hairbrushes, combs, towels or headphones
The CDPH states that it’s parents’ responsibility to regularly check their children for lice. If you do spot lice, follow treatment instructions carefully. For more guidance about how to check for lice or how to treat them, consult your child’s pediatrician or dermatologist.
Remember that if one family member has head lice, it’s likely that others do, too. Check everyone in the household and apply treatment as necessary. Overusing lice treatments can lead to resistance, so only use them when needed.
