The following information from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) will help you check for, treat and prevent the spread of head lice.
(www.healthchildren.org)
What are head lice?
Head lice are tiny insects. They are about the size of a sesame seed (2 mm to 3 mm long). Their bodies are usually pale and gray, but color may vary.
Head lice feed on tiny amounts of blood from the scalp. They usually survive less than a day if not on a person's scalp. Lice lay and attach their eggs to hair close to the scalp.
The eggs and their shell casings are called nits. They are oval (about 0.8 x 0.3 mm) and usually yellow to white. Nits are attached with a sticky substance that holds them firmly in place. After the eggs hatch, the empty nits remain attached to the hair shaft.
Head lice live about 28 days. They can multiply quickly, laying up to 10 eggs a day. It only takes about 12 days for newly hatched eggs to reach adulthood. This cycle can repeat itself every three weeks if head lice are left untreated.
How are head lice spread?
Head lice are crawling insects. They cannot jump, hop or fly. The main way head lice spreads is from close, prolonged head-to-head contact. There is a very small chance that head lice will spread because of sharing items such as combs, brushes and hats.
What are symptoms of head lice?
The most common symptom of head lice is itching. It may take up to four weeks after lice get on the scalp for the itching to begin. Most of the itching happens behind the ears or at the back of the neck.
What else do I need to know about treating head lice?
Wash your child's clothes, towels, hats and bed linens in hot water and dry on high heat if they were used within three days before head lice were found and treated.
Items that cannot be washed may be dry-cleaned or sealed in a plastic bag for two weeks.
If your child has head lice, all household members and close contacts should also be checked and treated if necessary.
It is necessary to use a nit comb to remove all nits.
