Lice! Cleaning up after is key to head off a recurrence
By Jenelle Watson, Contributor
newsleader.com
May, 10, 2009
Bev Bowman shudders at the mere mention of the word "lice," and not just because she doesn't like bugs.
"It's the whole idea of how hard they are to get rid of," she said last week as she purchased a can of lice treatment spray at CVS in Waynesboro for her home. "It's all that cleaning and vacuuming and laundry that I've heard so many parents talk about. I don't want to have to do that, so I'm not taking any chances."
Although she has no school-aged children of her own, Bowman provides after-school care for several students, one of whom was in close contact with another student who had lice.
"When his mom called to tell me that his best friend had lice, I grabbed the vacuum and went to town," she said. "Thank goodness I don't have to strip the beds and wash everything the way I've heard some people have to do."
But that's exactly what one must do if someone in their house has been discovered to have lice, says nurse Susan Schuldt, the School/Community Health Services Coordinator for Augusta County Public Schools. She knows all too well the importance persistence plays when it comes to winning the lice battle.
"This is something kids get from other kids," Schuldt said, stressing that anyone can get it. "It does not live in the school environment or the home environment, except for temporary periods."
According to Schuldt and other health-care professionals, lice outbreaks are an almost-expected occurrence once school starts each fall. Although some parents might be shocked to learn lice outbreaks also occur in spring, Schuldt says this can be because of students sharing sporting equipment, such as baseball caps and batting helmets. Active lice and nits can be transferred from head to head if such gear is shared.
"Those eggs, or nits, are the black things you see that stick to the shaft of the hair," she explained. "They also will be on furniture, clothing, stuffed animals and other items."
That's why the key to stopping a lice infestation isn't just a clean head. It's a clean house, Schuldt said, a very clean house ? and car, and even sporting gear bags.
"It's very important to treat the house, the car seats, anything the child comes in contact with," Schuldt said, "just as important as it is to get the nits off the children themselves. It's an extensive and time-consuming task that requires hard work and persistence. But it's necessary. Parents have to apply themselves to get those nits out of the hair, and then move forward and treat the house and the environment."
That means more than one day of work, she said. "Ideally, we want (parents) to treat the child and get those nits out of there," she said. "But as long as you see any evidence of nits or lice, you have to continue to treat and clean."
As alarming as a lice infestation might be, Schuldt says parents should keep in mind that lice do not carry disease and therefore will not make a child sick.
"They are nuisance pests that can make your scalp uncomfortable," she said, adding that getting rid of them once and for all is the key returning to a normal home life. "It's work," she said, "but it has to be done."
Additional Facts, Check It Off
What should you do if you are forced to battle with lice in your own home? Here's a Lice Treatment Checklist from the Augusta County Public Schools. Following this checklist will help insure you have treated your child and home adequately, they say, and thus reduced the risk of a re-infestation.
- Treat your family
- Examine each family member's head for active lice or nits (eggs).
- Buy medicated lice treatment product at any drug or discount store. There are several products available under various names. Any will work if the directions are followed.
- Treat all members of the family who are infested according to package instructions. Treat only those with active lice.
- Soak combs and brushes in 2 percent Lysol or full-strength lice shampoo for one hour, or soak in very hot water (150 degrees) for 10 minutes.
- Comb hair of each person carefully with a comb specifically made for lice treatment. Remove all nits from scalp and shaft of hair. This cannot be done quickly and must be done thoroughly. Check for nits daily and repeat combing as needed until no nits are visible.
- Clean Your Home
- Take sheets, pillow cases, blankets and bedspreads off beds where child has been.
- Wash and dry all bedding and washable toys at hot setting with detergent.
- Put pillows and non-washable bedding, non-washable clothes and toys in dryer for thirty minutes or hang in direct sun for six to eight hours or seal in plastic bag for 14 days. Alternatively, non-washable bedding and clothing may be dry cleaned.
- Vacuum all mattresses thoroughly, paying special attention to buttons and detailing. Empty of change vacuum bag.
- Make all beds with clean bedding.
- Carefully vacuum all upholstered furniture, carpets, loose pillows and the seats in your car.
- Wash all jackets, sweaters, hats and other clothes that have come in contact with infested person in last week.
- Notify all persons that have had close contact with infested child.
- If your child has been sent home from school due to a lice infestation, you'll need to provide proof of treatment. The lice shampoo box lid may suffice and should be taken to the school clinic upon the child's return to school. The child likely will be re-checked for lice in the clinic before being allowed to return to class.
Source: Augusta County Public Schools
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