DEAR PARENTS/GUARDIANS,

Common times for increased occurrence of head lice are at the start of the school year, after winter break, and after spring break.

Lice are blood sucking insects that live in the hair. Nits are the eggs that attach to the hair shaft. They can be found by looking at the hair and scalp. Look for small crawling bugs. They do not fly or jump. The nits are tiny, whitish, oval eggs that stick to the hair even when you run your finger over them. They usually are found near the nape of the neck or around the ears. Itching and scratching of the scalp are one of the main signs of lice but may not always be present. Head lice are generally transmitted from one person to another by head-to-head contact and by common use of personal items such as combs, brushes, hats, scarves, and bedding. We ask that you check your children frequently. If you find head lice and/or nits, please contact the school.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU FIND LICE

Shampooing with a good anti-lice preparation is required to kill the lice. Some of the medicated shampoos which have been found to be effective are:

1. Ovide available by a physician's order

2. Lindane available by a physician’s order

3. RID over-the-counter purchase

4. NIX (cream rinse) over-the-counter purchase

5. Equate (Wal-Mart) over-the-counter purchase

6. Lice MD over-the-counter, non pesticide

7. Lice Ice over-the-counter, non pesticide

8. Other various store brands are available over the counter

Lice treatments ordered by a physician such as Ovide and Lindane may work the best.

Follow the directions exactly as written on the bottle. The shampoo kills the lice but may not kill all the nits. After the shampoo, use a fine-tooth comb to remove the nits. Sometimes you have to pull the nits out with your fingernails. To complete treatment, all combs, brushes, clothing worn in the past 2 days, bedding, towels, coats and stuffed animals should be washed. Carpets and upholstery should be vacuumed.

All people in the family should be examined for the presence of lice and nits. If lice/nits are found, that person should also be treated with the anti-lice shampoo and nits must be removed.

If you have any questions, please contact your physician, school nurse or local pharmacist. Thank you.

SCHOOL NURSE

RCAS 03-0330

1-2012