A case of lice at home? Yikes! say most parents.
But the American Academy of Pediatrics offers this calming advice: Lice are neither a health hazard nor a sign of poor hygiene. Safe and effective treatments do exist. Here are additional suggestions:
Do
Contact your pediatrician if you are unsure whether your child has head lice.
Use an over-the-counter treatment, such as permethrin 1% or pyrethrins for an active lice infestation if there is no known resistance to these treatments in your community.
Repeat permethrin 1% treatment nine days after the initial treatment.
Read and adhere to the instructions accompanying any product or treatment.
Contact your pediatrician if over-the-counter or prescription treatments are not effective.
Keep lice in perspective — your child is neither sick nor in danger of illness.
Don’t
Treat your child without a firm diagnosis of head lice — even if a close friend or classmate has lice; doing so contributes to treatment resistance.
Keep your child home from school because of nits or lice.
Engage in monumental cleaning efforts to rid your home of lice. Time and effort are better focused on your child’s head.
©2010 American Academy of Pediatrics. This information may be freely copied and distributed with proper attribution.