Head lice Scratching the itch


Head lice are a source of frustration for many parents but, given the right information, they are more than capable of eliminating the problem themselves. Christine Brown explains


Keeping parents informed


While you do not want to alarm parents it is important to make them aware when there is an outbreak in their child’s class. Using the letter template below is a simple way of encouraging parents to get in the routine of checking their child’s hair every week.


Dear parent/guardian,


There has recently been a case of head lice identified at the school and we wanted to make sure you were kept informed. While lice are nothing more than a nuisance, it is important that children are checked on a weekly basis so that any head lice can be dealt with quickly and before they are allowed to spread too far. As there has been an outbreak, we suggest that you check your


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pproximately one in 10 primary school children have head lice at any one time, according to research, yet many families are ill-equipped and under-informed about how to deal with this


common pest.


A recent poll found that 46 per cent of parents with primary school children did not understand the need to check regularly. A third did not know what to look for and one in four thought the school was checking for nits on their behalf.


Despite national guidelines highlighting school checking as an ineffective approach, the survey of 4,000 UK parents found that 85 per cent said they would like to see a return of the “nit nurse”. To do this effectively, throughout the UK’s 20,000 primary schools, school nurses would have to check approximately five million heads every week – this is simply not feasible. Parents are clearly frustrated by head lice, however rather than trying to assign blame, the key is for all parents to check regularly and take swift action should they be found. Bringing back the nit nurse would make things worse, not better, as parents would likely stop their own checking if they think someone else is doing it.


Despite primary responsibility for head lice management and treatment resting with parents, it is essential that they are given the right support to help them manage the condition effectively.


Schools can play a supportive role by encouraging best practice among parents, keeping them informed if there are any outbreaks of lice and encouraging them to be extra vigilant and well prepared. The “Once a Week, Take a Peek” campaign was set up in 2008 to educate parents on the need to check their children’s hair regularly as a normal part of their family’s personal hygiene routine. Sponsored by Hedrin (a head lice treatment) and the Medical Entomology Centre, and approved by the School and Public Health Nurses Association, the initiative provides free, instructional leaflets for parents which schools are invited to send out with a letter home (a suggested letter is printed, right).


• Christine Brown is a former nurse consultant with the Medical Entomology Centre.


Further information For free instructional leaflets for parents, posters for the school and a free guideline about how your school can put the campaign into action, visit www.onceaweektakeapeek.com


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child’s head as soon as possible. Follow the simple CHECK, TREAT, COMPLETE routine below to ensure you are doing your bit to keep head lice outbreaks to a minimum.


CHECK n Your child’s hair once a week. n Use a proper detection comb – with teeth no more than 0.3mm apart to trap head lice and white in colour so they can easily be seen.


n If you find live lice, consult a pharmacist for treatment advice. n If head lice are spotted, take a close look at all the family, including yourself and ask close family and friends to check as well.


TREAT n Only treat if live lice are identified. n Use a clinically proven treatment. n Leave the treatment on for the recommended time for maximum effect – leaving it on for longer will not make it more effective.


COMPLETE n Repeat the treatment for a second time seven days after the first to kill any lice that may hatch from eggs during that time, if the pack instructions specify that a second application is required.


n Check that all head lice have gone within two to three days of the final application of head lice treatment to complete the process.


n For further information on head lice see your pharmacist or visit www.onceaweektakeapeek.com


Common myths


1. Head lice can only be passed by direct head-to-head contact. They cannot jump, fly, hop or swim.


2. Head lice cannot be caught by sharing things like hairbrushes, towels or bedding. Head lice can only survive on heads, dying quickly once away from their food source. Adults and nymphs can only survive for eight to 24 hours without feeding.


3. Having head lice has nothing to do with personal hygiene or having dirty hair. They can live on all types of hair and have no preference towards clean or dirty.


4. Lice live incredibly close to the scalp and can survive on hair as short as 2mm long, so cutting or shaving hair will not necessarily help.


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