My 6-year-old daughter just started summer camp. Only days into the season, we got word that one of the other children had come down with head lice! I thought that lice season was not until the fall, but I know how quickly the little critters can spread, so I’m already preparing for the worst. Should I consider pulling my daughter out of camp? What tips do you have for lice prevention and treatment?
The mere mention of head lice can raise anxieties in both parents and children. Contrary to what you have heard, “lice season” is not confined to the school year. Lice thrive in warmer weather, and have ample opportunity to spread from one child to another during playtime, camp activities, and the many other chances children will have to come into close contact through the summer months. Head lice travel from one human host to another, most commonly through head-to-head contact, which is why children, who often play and rest in close proximity, are especially vulnerable. In addition, though it’s rarer, children can contract lice after sharing personal items, such as bedding, pillows, and hats.
The good news is that head lice do not spread disease. However, they can certainly cause discomfort, and unfortunately a lice infestation will not go away on its own, so it is important to be aware of the symptoms and best courses of treatment for head lice. Signs and symptoms of lice include irritation of the scalp, intense itching, or a tickling feeling from the movement of hair. If you notice your child exhibiting any of these symptoms, you should check her for head lice — the insects are about the size of sesame seeds — and nits (lice eggs) by using a comb and a magnifying glass to thoroughly examine your child’s hair, especially at the base of the hair shaft.
Treatments for lice infestation vary. For most children, doctors recommend over-the-counter shampoos, topical drugs to apply to the scalp or hair, or, in the case of very resistant infestations, prescription medication. For very young children, doctors often advise parents to remove the lice and nits by wetting their child’s hair and then using a fine-tooth comb to detach the nits. Once your child’s hair is treated, you can take extra precautions to safeguard against reinfestation, and you should check yourself and consider treatment as well, since a child’s lice infestation often spreads to siblings and parents. Make sure you wash bedding and recently worn clothing in hot water, dry clean clothing items that cannot be washed and vacuum carpets and any upholstered furniture.
Though they are an annoyance, head lice pose no serious health risks to children or adults. This is one of the reasons that the American Academy of Pediatrics has now recommended that “children should not be restricted from school attendance because of lice.” The spirit of that recommendation should extend to your daughter’s time in her summer camp — there’s no reason to cut short her fun in the sun!
