Head Lice and Your Child

Pediculosis (head lice) can happen to anyone regardless of age, ethnicity, or sex. Pediculosis affects between 6-12 million people in the United States each year, and is the most common childhood affliction following the common cold. Unlike the cold virus, however, pediculosis is a social issue, and not a health problem.

Pediculosis is more prevalent among children than adolescents and adults, probably because children are naturally affectionate and have head to head contact through play and other activities. Children are more likely to share personal items such as caps, helmets, combs, brushes, etc. They forget that in sharing these items, they may also be sharing head lice. Pediculosis, therefore, is a common nuisance that parents may find themselves dealing with during their children’s early school years.

Based on recommendations by the Texas Department of Health, the Whitehouse ISD nursing department will only perform head checks on an as needed basis and in private. Students with live lice will be sent home and may return as soon as appropriate treatment is completed. The parent must bring the student by the nurse’s office for an examination prior to readmission. Your nurse is able to provide you with information regarding treatment and control of pediculosis. Parents are encouraged to periodically check their student for nits, which would indicate the presence of an adult, egg-laying louse.

• Managing Lice: A survival guide for parents