PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF HEADLICE POLICY

This draft policy has been put together by selected staff members and parents’ representatives and is supported by the board of management. The purpose of this policy is to help in the prevention and control of Head Lice in the school. We hope to introduce this policy at whole school level but have agreed to pilot it in one class for now. We will roll it out to other classes as and when Head Lice infestations are reported.

Head lice belong to a group of human parasitic insects that have plagued humans since the beginning of time. They can be found on persons of any age, race, gender or socioeconomic class and are not an indicator of poor hygiene or living conditions. It is important in treating children for Head lice that we understand the life cycle of the louse.

  • Nits , the eggs, take 7 to 11 days to mature and hatch
  • The baby louse takes 9 to 12 days to grow into an adult. A fully grown adult louse is the size of a sesame seed.
  • Once an adult, it needs to find a mate
  • 24 hours after pairing the female lays her first eggs – and then keeps laying them day after day, after day, after day.
  • Head Lice dieif they don’t have contact to fresh blood supply from the scalp within two days.

To this purpose we have put together a step by step guide for parents to follow that clearly outlines the steps to take. (please see attached).

We trust all parents will come onboard in supporting this policy and that we will have a positive outcome that we can soon roll out at a whole school level. While this policy is still at a draft and pilot stage we would welcome any feedback or suggestions you may have.

HOW DOES ONE GET HEADLICE

Lice cannot jump or fly. Transmission occurs in 2 ways:

  1. By coming into direct contact with a person with adult headlice or
  2. By direct contact with an object that has been in contact with an infested person’s head i.e hats, coats, scarves, brushes, pillows, bedding, upholstered furniture, car seats etc.

SYMPTOMS

Itching of the scalp which is caused by an allergic reaction to the saliva of the headlice. This allergic itching sensation generally does not occur immediately when a person becomes infested but may take several weeks to develop. Thus, by the time a person is noticeably scratching, the person has been either infested for several weeks (or) the person has been sensitized to louse saliva from a previous infestation.

The nits are most commonly found near the base of the neck, the crown of the head, and behind the ears.

TEACHERS

Teachers are often the first to identify a potential case of Head lice in the classroom. It is extremely important to be sensitive to parents and children. Discreetly alert parents that their child has signs of head lice infestation, advise parents regarding treatment and nit removal and ensure confidentiality if possible.

SCHOOL

  • The school (class teacher, secretary or principal) will contact parents discretely if they suspect a head lice infestation on their child.
  • On Monday evening’s a screening of the children’s heads will be allotted as part of the child’s homework.
  • All parents of the children in the class will be notified when the school is informed of an infestation.
  • Parents will be made aware of this policy.
  • Class Teacher will conduct a lesson on ‘Looking After Your Hair – All about Head lice.
  • The attached Detection and Treatment Guide will be distributed to classes as and when infestations are reported.

PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF HEAD LICE IN THE HOME

Through incorporating head lice screening into the basic hygiene routine in the home, cases of head lice infestation may be identified early in their course when treatment and eradication is easier to accomplish. Parents should also help educate their children about head lice:

  • Teach their children not to share , combs, hats or clothing with other children
  • Include head checks as part of a weekly routine
  • Contact the school if the child has been found to have lice or nits
  • Begin the steps of head lice treatment that day
  • Focus on the manual removal of all nits on the hair shafts after treatment.

(no chemical treatment is 100% effective so tireless efforts to physically remove all nits through proper combing and ‘nit picking’ are necessary.)

TREATMENT

  • Consult your pharmacist for appropriate treatment and instructions.
  • Remove clothing from the upper body and provide him/her with a towel to protect face and eyes.
  • Have the child lean over the sink.
  • Do not wet the hair – apply solution to dry hair.
  • Do not use the treatment on eyebrows or eyelashes.
  • Examine all other family members
  • Treat ONLY family members who are infested.
  • Machine wash on the hot cycle all bed linens and clothing that have been in contact with the infested person within the last three days (including toys and stuffed animals)
  • Use a hot dryer for at least 20 minutes afterwards
  • All of the child’s brushes, combs and hair implements must be treated as well by either soaking in a mild (diluted) bleach solution or scrubbing items with soap and hot water.
  • Vacuum or dry clean non washables
  • If there are items that cannot be washed, vacuumed or dry cleaned, items can be ‘bagged’ and sealed in plastic garbage bags for a period of up to 2 weeks
  • Vacuum carpet, upholstered furniture, mattresses and car seats etc.

Ratified by Board of Management on November 29th 2017.

HEAD LICE DETECTION MAP AND EFFECTIVE TREATMENT GUIDE