Iredell-Statesville Schools
Control of Head Lice
Responsibilities of School Personnel
1. Information about head lice including how to prevent and signs and symptoms will be sent home yearly and will be on the ISS School Nurse Website. School nurses can also be contacted for questions or concerns.
2. Be alert for any suspect case of head lice. Suspect cases would be children who scratch their scalp, complain of an itchy scalp or who appear to have tiny white “nits” or eggs attached to the hair shaft.
3. On receiving notification of a suspected case of head lice, the teacher, school nurse, or designated contact person should examine the child’s hair to verify the report. Directly inspect the hair and scalp, using separate applicator stick, toothpick, student’s own pencil, etc., for each student, to detect the presence of crawling lice or nits. Observe for movement on or near the scalp, especially at the nape of neck and behind the ears.
4. If suspected case is confirmed, the child’s siblings and close associates (best friends, playmates, bus or car transportation contacts) should also be examined for head lice. Confidentiality of the child is maintained.
5. Any child having untreated live lice should be sent home for treatment as soon as possible with a letter stating they have head lice and the need for treatment. The student should be discouraged from direct head contact with others. The Head Lice Fact Sheet should also be sent home.
6. It is not necessary to check the entire school or the school bus. Notifying all parents when head lice are found in the classroom is not necessary unless several (2-3) cases are found. In this case the principal can use his/her discretion in notifying parents of all the students in that classroom. The “Control of Head Lice” letter could be used.
7. Carpet and upholstery should be vacuumed routinely. Neither lice nor nits (eggs) can live on books, furniture, carpets, etc. Since the school does not serve as a continuous dwelling place for students, it cannot harbor lice or nits. Communication with parents should reflect this.
8. Student will be re-admitted to school if instructions are followed. Student should be checked by school personnel before re-admission. The continued presence of a few egg cases or nits in a child’s hair after treatment is not sufficient grounds for denying admission to school. If same child continues to have symptoms of head lice and infestation is verified by the school nurse a meeting is arranged with the parent/caregiver in person or by phone to ensure that the recommended treatment of child and home environment is being followed.
9. If the child has not been satisfactorily treated (continued presence of active head lice), he/she should be refused admission to school and sent home with a second letter. Teacher, School Nurse, or contact person sending child home should counsel parent on importance of proper treatment and removal of nits and lice.
10. A student should not miss more than one day of school because of the treatment of head lice. If the child is absent more than three days, the principal should notify the attendance counselor, social worker, and/or school nurse.
Date: ______
Dear Parent:
Your child, ______, was sent home from school today because he/she has head lice. Your child must be treated before returning to school. Attached, you will find information about head lice and what needs to be done to get rid of it.
Your child will be rechecked by school personnel before re-admission to the classroom. Your child will be re-admitted to school if instructions have been followed and evidence of adequate treatment is found. If not, you will have to take the child back home and work on removing nits and lice.
Your child should be treated again in seven days to kill any newly hatched lice that may have been missed during nit removal.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Head Lice Facts
(Pediculosis)
Cause: Small, wingless, gray-brown, hairy, flat, six-legged insect about the size of a pinhead found on the hair, called a “louse”. The female louse attaches her egg or “nit” to the hair near the scalp (usually within ½” of the scalp). Nits are tiny tan or white specks, which are hard to pull off the hair. The louse hatches in 7-10 days and leaves the nit. The louse will not survive more than 2-3 days away from human contact. They do not live on pets.
Occurrence: Head lice occurs worldwide. It is common among school-aged children and their close contacts. It is not related to degree of cleanliness. Routine hair care will not prevent or cure the problem.
Transmission: LICE DO NOT HOP, JUMP, OR FLY. Lice are spread by close contact with an infested person (such as head-to-head) or by contact with their personal belongings, such as combs, brushes, hair bows, hats, coats, bed linens, or towels. Encourage children and others not to use personal articles belonging to someone else.
Symptoms: Children usually become aware of the problem by finding lice or eggs (nits) in their hair. They are usually found at the centerline of the top of the head, at the back of the neck at the hairline, and/or behind the ears, but they can be found anywhere on the head. Itching of the scalp is very common, but with light infestations children may not complain. Irritation of the skin at the hairline and ears may be present due to scratching. Many nits may resemble dandruff, but will not shake loose from the hair to which they are attached.
Treatment: All household members should be examined for head lice. Treat any infested family members AT THE SAME TIME AS THE CHILD. Close contacts should also be checked for lice.
1. KILL THE LICE: Use an over-the-counter pediculocide now and repeat in 7 days, following package directions OR consult your healthcare provider for prescription treatment. There are several different types of lice treatments, including shampoo and cream rinse. Be sure to follow label directions exactly. Over the counter treatments must be REPEATED IN ONE WEEK – but no sooner – to kill lice that have hatched since the first treatment. These products are not to be used on pregnant women or children less than two-years-old. Over the counter products kill lice, but will not kill all eggs waiting to hatch.
2. REMOVE ALL EGGS (NITS): This is the most difficult and most important chore in getting rid of head lice. FAILURE TO REMOVE NITS AND LICE WILL LEAD TO FAILURE OF TREATMENT. It is NOT enough to just use the shampoo. Parents must make every effort to remove all the nits. How to remove nits:
a. Use the fine-toothed plastic comb that comes with the pediculocide, or buy a more effective metal nit removal comb.
b. While hair is wet, comb hair in one-inch sections, pinning each section out of the way once you have completed combing it.
c. Rinse or clean the comb after each pass through
d. Depending on the length and thickness of hair, this may take 2 – 6 hours.
3. CLEAN THE ENVIRONMENT: To prevent re-infestation lice and eggs must also be removed from the environment. Please follow these steps:
a. Machine wash in hot water all washable clothing, coats, book bags, towels, bed linens, and pillows that have been in contact with lice for the previous three days. For items that cannot be machine washed but that heat will not harm, dry in dryer for at least 20 minutes on high setting.
b. Clothes, bedding or stuffed animals/toys that cannot be washed or dried may be dry cleaned or placed in a plastic bag and sealed air-tight for two weeks.
c. Thoroughly wash combs, brushes, hair bows, and personal articles in hot water for 20 minutes.
d. Vacuum carpets, upholstered furniture, and mattresses.
e. Vacuum the car seats if fabric.
Return to School: Parents should treat the child the same day they are sent home, so the child can return to school the next day. Children may return to school the next day to be checked by school personnel and re-admitted to the classroom if evidence of adequate treatment is found. This includes removal of lice and nits. School personnel will check the child’s head again after the second treatment, one week later. An excused absence will be given for up to 2 days, including the day the student is sent home with lice. Absences thereafter will be unexcused and subject to the compulsory attendance law.
If you have any questions, or need help with resources, please contact the school nurse.
CONTROL OF HEAD LICE
Dear Parents:
We are aware that you are concerned about the control of head lice (pediculosis) at school. We are asking for your help in this matter.
Head lice are usually spread from one infested person to another through close contact with the hair. Head lice do not hop, jump or fly. Please teach your children not to share combs, brushes, hair bows, hats, coats, towels, or anything that comes in contact with the head, neck or shoulders. Also, please check your child’s hair regularly for head lice.
Below are some suggestions for checking your child’s hair:
1. Your child may complain of itchy scalp. Live lice are very small and hard to see. To see the lice your might need a strong light and a magnifying glass. Lice are about the size of a sesame seed. They are wingless, gray-brown, hairy, flat, six-legged insects. They are usually found at the center line of the top of the head, at the back of the neck at the hair line, and behind the ears, but they can be anywhere on the scalp. Look also for “nits” or eggs that can be found on a single hair. These are tiny tan or white specks which will stick to the hair and are hard to pull off.
2. If you suspect your child has head lice or “nits” please let the school know. You may also want to contact the school nurse or health department for advice on what to do. DO NOT USE HOME REMEDIES unless recommended by a healthcare professional.
Thank you very much for your cooperation in helping us to control this problem.