Pediculosis, or head lice, is a condition that affects approximately 6 to 12 million children between the ages of 3 and 12 years of age. Head lice are parasites that are generally found on the scalp, around the ears, and/or at the back of the neck. The adult louse is about the size of a sesame seed and can be the color of your child's hair. Eggs, or nits, are smaller and silver to white in color.
If your child has lice or you suspect that your child has head lice, please refer to the following steps:
Have a healthcare provider evaluate your child.
If your child has lice, follow the directions for treatment carefully, and notify your child’s building nurse.
NASN Position Statement/Excerpt "Evidence-based strategies for the management of head lice in the school setting can reduce the incidence of infestations, the social stigma and caregiver strain experienced by students and families, and the negative impact on students’ education. The school nurse can provide leadership within the school community to effectively manage head lice by:
Providing accurate health education to the school community focused on dispelling common myths about head lice (e.g., incidence, the life cycle of the head louse, mode of transmission, the importance of regular surveillance at home, recommended evidence-based treatment options, care of the environment,)” (ANA & NASN, 2011 Pontius, 2014).
“Advocating and providing a rationale for the elimination of mass school screenings for head lice,” (Devore et al., 2015; CDC, 2013a).
“Returning affected students to class or other school-sponsored activities with instruction to avoid head-to-head contact,” (Pontius, 2014).
Eliminating classroom-wide or school-wide family head lice notification.
Notifying parents/caregivers at the end of the school day to teach about evidence-based treatment options and steps to follow.
“Advocating for and providing a rationale for the abandonment of “no-nit” school policies that require a child to be free of nits before he or she can return to school,” (Devore et al., 2015; Pontius, 2014).
CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Students diagnosed with live head lice do not need to be sent home early from school; they can go home at the end of the day, be treated, and return to class after appropriate treatment has begun. Nits may persist after treatment, but successful treatment should kill crawling lice.
● Head lice can be a nuisance but they have not been shown to spread disease. Personal hygiene or cleanliness in the home or school has nothing to do with getting head lice.
● Both the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) advocate that “no-nit” policies should be discontinued. “No-nit” policies that require a child to be free of nits before they can return to school should be discontinued for the following reasons:
● Many nits are more than ¼ inch from the scalp. Such nits are usually not viable and very unlikely to hatch to become crawling lice, or may in fact be empty shells, also known as ‘casings.’
● Nits are cemented to hair shafts and are very unlikely to be transferred successfully to other people.
● The burden of unnecessary absenteeism to the students, families, and communities far outweighs the risks associated with head lice.
● Misdiagnosis of nits is very common during nit checks conducted by nonmedical personnel.
Allegheny County Health Department Exclusion: Treat at end of the day and readmit once the first treatment is completed. The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend sending children home early if lice are discovered.
