Below is a news release on a clinical report published in the September issue of Pediatrics, the peer-reviewed, scientific journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). To receive the full text of this report, please contact AAP Communications. The policy will be posted on the AAP Web site on September 3 at
http://www.aap.org
NEW HEAD LICE STATEMENT:
AAP DISCOURAGES "NO NIT" POLICIES FOR SCHOOL RETURN
CHICAGO - In a new clinical report, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) attempts to clarify diagnosis and treatment of head lice and makes recommendations for dealing with this condition in school. Among its recommendations,
the AAP says no healthy child should be excluded from, or allowed to miss school because of head lice, and that "no nit" policies for return to school should be discouraged. Numerous anecdotal reports exist of children missing weeks of school and even being forced to repeat a grade because of head lice.
Although not painful or a serious health hazard, head lice are the cause of much embarrassment and misunderstanding,
many unnecessary days lost from school and work, and millions of dollars spent on remedies.
The AAP recommendations for treating head lice also include:
* School personnel responsible for detecting head lice should be appropriately trained, as it can be difficult to diagnose.
* Permethrin 1 percent (an insecticide) is currently the recommended treatment for head lice.
* Head lice screening programs in schools do not have a significant effect on the incidence of head lice, and are not cost-effective. Parent education programs may be a more appropriate management tool.
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Manually removing nits after medication for killing lice is not necessary to prevent spread. However it may be prudent to remove nits in school-aged children to decrease the chance of mis-diagnosis. Nit removal is tedious and often cannot be accomplished in one sitting.
Because a child with an active head lice infestation has likely had the infestation for a month or more by the time it is discovered, and because the child poses little risk to others and does not have a resulting health problem, he or she should remain in class, but be discouraged from close direct head contact with others.
Head lice are most common in children three to 12 years of age, and all socioeconomic groups are affected. Head lice infestation is not significantly influenced by hair length or by frequent brushing or shampooing. Lice cannot hop or fly; they crawl.
Transmission in most cases occurs by direct contact with the head of another infested individual. Indirect spread through contact with personal belongings of an infested individual (combs, brushes, hats) is much less likely, but cannot be excluded.Currently there are a variety of treatments available for head lice including solutions in shampoo and cream rinse formulas, topical agents and manual removal. The AAP recommends Permethrin 1 percent as it has low toxicity for humans and does not cause allergic reaction to individuals with plant allergies. The product is a cream rinse applied to hair that is first shampooed with a non-conditioning shampoo and then towel-dried.
It is probably impossible to totally prevent head lice infestations as young children frequently come into close head-to-head contact with each other. Children should be taught not to share personal items such as combs, brushes and hats. Adults should be aware of the signs and symptoms of head lice infestation, and affected children should be treated promptly to minimize spread to others.
EDITOR'S NOTE: More information on this topic can be found at: Head Lice
http://www.medem.com/search/article...=/ZZZ5CPTOBAC.html&soc=AAP&srch_typ=NAV_SERCH
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