Dear Parents and Guardians,
I wanted to send out a quick reminder, and share a message from Nurse Ashley.
Reminder: This Friday, March 27th is an Early Release Day. Parent Pickup is at 11:30 with buses to follow. We hope to see all of our students.
Message from Nurse Ashley Regarding Head Lice
Dear Parents,
A case of head lice has been found in 3rd grade. We understand that such news can travel quickly, and that it can be concerning. While not a cause for panic, it is cause for action to be taken to prevent and, if needed, to treat, so I wanted to share some information and give you some tools for preventing and eliminating head lice.
First, head lice are common among school-aged children. They are not a sign of uncleanliness. They do not transmit disease. Head lice do not jump or fly; they are primarily spread through direct, head-to-head contact.
Prevent transmission:
Teach children the following
Do not share combs, brushes, hats, or other personal headgear
Do not try on other people’s hats (even in department stores)
Place hats and scarves inside coat/jacket sleeves when hanging.
Parents and guardians should conduct weekly regular head checks of your child year-round.
If head lice are found on your child:
Check others in the household (or friends from sleepovers) for signs of head lice or nits. If found, complete the remaining steps on all infested individuals.
Remove nits from the head by combing. This is the most important lice control measure. Complete nit removal is time-consuming but is critical for successful treatment. See details below.
Treat: Use an effective head lice treatment (see below for my recommendation).
Remove all lice and nits from the environment (clothing, bedding, etc) by washing items in hot water. There is no need to spray pesticides at home.
Perform daily head checks and remove nits for 3 weeks until head lice are gone. Continue to check your child weekly to detect reinfestation. If you have difficulties treating the head lice on your child, please contact your physician or Nurse Ashley for assistance.
Some families choose a professional service that guarantees complete removal which can be located in Waterville and Portland. Others choose an over-the-counter treatment or contact their physician for a prescription.
There are many possible treatments for head lice. Due to expense and resistance to chemicals, I recommend the following:
1) Buy a cheap conditioner and coat the hair from roots to ends.
2) Use a Licemeister or similar lice comb with 11/2-inch metal tines to comb out lice and nits thoroughly. I suggest taking one section of the hair at a time, pinning up the rest and spending a fair amount of time on each section on the first comb-through. (It can take a couple of hours--put a movie on!) The lice and eggs will get trapped in the conditioner each time the comb goes through the hair- wipe it off with a paper towel and put it in the trash. When finished, wash hair as usual with shampoo.
3) Every day thereafter for 6 weeks, run the comb through dry hair--preferably in the morning before school to comb out any tiny lice that may have hatched from missed nits.
I let people know that they will be combing out baby lice each day for the next several days and that is OK- just throw them in the trash.
The tendency is to quit combing after a few days of combing and finding no lice--but I caution parents to continue for the 6 weeks to totally break the life cycle.
4) Change bedding once and change pillowcases twice a week during the 6 weeks. If you want to do some deep cleaning, you can vacuum the favorite resting places (couch, etc.) - DO NOT USE SPRAYS- they are not necessary and may be harmful. The comb may be scrubbed with toothbrush and soapy water or boiled.
No school time needs to be missed.
If parents choose to use chemicals, I tell them that combing daily for 6 weeks is still necessary, or viable eggs will hatch and the infestation will continue.
Let me know if I can help clarify any of these instructions.
Nurse Ashley
Ashley DeWever, RN BSN
Marcia Buker School Nurse