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Head Lice

Head Lice

A series of articles from News Canada. (please read our other head lice article here.)

Introduction

Head lice live about 40-50 days and go through three stages in their life cycle:

• Stage 1 - Nits: The female louse lays eggs in sacks known as nits. Each nit is attached to a single strand of hair with a special glue-like substance that cements it in place on the hair shaft, near the root at the scalp.
• Stage 2 - Nymphs: Once the louse hatches, it is called a nymph and is barely visible to the naked eye. The nymph looks just like an adult louse except that it is smaller and cannot reproduce because it is not fully developed. The nymph stage can last from Day 11 to Day 22, or longer in cold weather.
• Stage 3 - Adults: The female adult louse can lay 4-10 eggs a day (50-150 eggs in her lifetime), starting another generation of lice. The adult stage can last 38 days or so (Day 23 - Day 50).

For more information on head lice, visit www.beatheadlice.ca

Bug busters: Getting results from head lice treatments

The picture that comes to mind when the words "head lice" are uttered is undeniably creepy - crawling, pesky bugs invading the heads of innocent children. Despite this, a recent Decima Research survey of more than 1,000 Canadian parents found that nearly 70 per cent were not aware that common medicated head lice treatments they have used on themselves or their children are insecticide-based.

"People don't seem to understand most traditional medicated topical treatments include insecticides," said Denis Villeneuve, a pharmacist in Quebec City. "The survey results also show that 90 per cent of respondents would prefer to use a non-insecticide product if it was as effective or more effective than current alternatives."

According to the Canadian Paediatric Society, while absorption is minimal, small amounts of insecticide can be absorbed through the skin on the scalp during treatment, so care should be taken to avoid unnecessary exposure, and, where indicated, to minimize skin contact beyond the scalp.

After years of relying on insecticide-based treatment, parents this year will have a new option.

Called Resultz, it is an effective head lice treatment that does not contain traditional insecticides, and is colorless and odorless. With an active ingredient commonly found in many day-to-day cosmetics, Resultz works by dissolving the wax that covers the outside of head lice, which dehydrates the lice and causes them to die.

"In clinical studies, Resultz has proven to be a highly effective option to use in getting rid of head lice," says Dr. Nalini Kaul, a Winnipeg-based clinical researcher. "It is colorless and odorless, easy to apply and works well. With resistance to head lice treatments reported around the world, it is important to have a new option. Resultz acts by a mechanical process, therefore lice are unlikely to develop resistance."

Resistance means that, through genetic mutation, the lice have found a way to survive a treatment that was formerly effective. In fact, head lice resistance to insecticides is a worldwide phenomenon. Closest to home in the United States, head lice have developed the ability to survive treatment with older, over-the-counter topical treatments containing the active ingredient permethrin. Resistance to treatments based on other topical insecticides - pyrethrin and lindane - is also documented abroad.

"I look at it this way - people have been making the switch to pesticide-free lawn care over the past several years," said Ann Douglas, one of Canada's leading parenting authors and a mother of four. "For parents, considering if a head lice treatment is based on an insecticide or not may be even more of a consideration."

Lice survey highlights

Decima Research recently asked more than 1,000 Canadian parents of school-aged children about head lice through its proprietary online eVox panel. The results are considered accurate +/-3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

• Awareness of head lice is high; more than 94 per cent of those surveyed indicated they knew what head lice were.
• 82 per cent consulted some sort of health professional to manage either their child's or their own head lice; the pharmacist was overwhelmingly the preferred source of information.
• Among parents who had to miss work as a result of their child's head lice, half missed two or more days and nearly one-quarter missed three or more days.
• 94 per cent of households had used a medicated shampoo or rinse to treat the head lice.
• Head lice shampoos were considered very or completely effective by just 61 per cent of respondents; other treatment options (including nit combs, medicated cream rinses, tea tree oil, vinegar, etc.) were not considered effective by the majority of respondents.
• One-quarter of households with head lice reported that head lice re-appeared after it was thought to have been treated properly.
• Two-thirds of respondents had heard about insects developing resistance to insecticides, and among those who had heard, 63 per cent believe that head lice may become resistant to commonly-used insecticide-based head lice treatments.
• The majority of respondents were not aware that most medicated head lice treatments contain some sort of pesticide or insecticide.
• Nine out of 10 would prefer to use an insecticide-free head lice treatment, if it were as effective or more effective than the current alternatives.

For more information on head lice, visit www.beatheadlice.ca

Head lice: an equal opportunity infestation

Parents should check their children's scalp and hair for head lice at least once per week during the school year, and more often when the school has identified an outbreak.(NC)-It's an urban myth that still stands strong today: that head lice are a sign of a dirty child.

This myth - patently false but stubbornly popular - can lead to some parents overwhelmed with embarrassment when they get the dreaded phone call from school saying their child has the pesky bugs. Parents look for help, but confidentiality about the condition becomes paramount.

Pharmacist Denis Villeneuve has seen countless embarrassed parents come in and ask about head lice treatments. Mr. Villeneuve listens carefully and explains that the condition is common, and that in order to get rid of the head lice, a quick, effective treatment is needed.

"Parents are not to blame if their child has head lice, and in no way are head lice a sign of uncleanliness," says Mr. Villeneuve. "When a patient consults me, my approach is as privately, professionally and neutrally as possible, talk through the options to help treat the lice infestation and prevent it from happening again in the future. It is important that all parents know that their pharmacist can provide trusted guidance. Taking into consideration their feelings is also important, as is reassuring them."

In a recent Decima Research survey, 65 per cent of parents turned to their pharmacist for answers about treatment when they or their child had head lice.

"No-one can judge a parent because their child has head lice. But what we can do is help to provide the best possible information and help them through it," said Mr. Villeneuve. "To facilitate this, we now have a new, insecticide-free option called Resultz, which has a unique mode of action, is safe and very effective."

In most cases, seeing a pharmacist is the best first step after finding the lice. However, if this is the second time a child has had lice in short period of time or the lice have not gone away after treatment, a visit to the doctor is needed. A doctor's visit is also required if the child with head lice is under two years of age, if the person being treated has a seizure disorder, or if the person has a scalp infection.

Expelling lice from schools

Even if you're worried or upset about her case of head lice, try to keep your cool. You don't want your child to get the impression that you're angry with her or that you think it's her fault that she's infected. With nearly four million school-aged children living in Canada, based on incidence numbers in a United Kingdom study, about 1.5 million of our kids could get head lice in any given year. Educators, like L. Romano, a principal in the Greater Toronto Area, are on the front lines of the war with these tiny insect invaders.

Ms. Romano has spent years as a teacher and principal, and has worked in a number of different types of schools. One thing they all have in common: head lice.

"I've worked in inner-city schools and in suburban schools, and head lice are a problem regardless of where the school is found," said Ms. Romano. "Many parents need help understanding what head lice are all about, and where to turn to for advice. Having a good understanding of the community resources available is key, as is giving clear direction about expectations for their child's return to school."

This return is based in part on the local school board's policy on nits. Nits are the eggs laid by the female louse. Some school boards have adopted so-called "no-nit" policies, which hold that the presence of nits means a child cannot re-enter school.

The Canadian Pediatric Society states that a definitive head lice diagnosis requires the detection of a living louse. Both it and the American Academy of Pediatrics discourage 'no-nit' school policies, saying that these policies have no medical justification.

But whatever the policy, Ms. Romano recommends that people learn what it is and be prepared to treat quickly and effectively to get their child back to school.

"Both parents and the schools have the same goal: to get kids back in school," says Ms. Romano.

For parents, along with the emotional impact on them and their child, it also could mean lost work. A recent Decima Research survey of more than 1,000 Canadian parents found nearly one quarter of parents surveyed whose child has or had lice missed three or more days of work during their child's last head lice infestation.

"There is no question that head lice can impact anyone, and can be a disrupting force in a child's - and their family's - day-to-day life," adds Ms. Romano. "Getting it treated and getting the child back into routine is the bottom line."

For more information on head lice, visit www.beatheadlice.ca

Preventing reinfestation of Head Lice

There is no sure way to prevent reinfestation, but these tips may help:

• DON'T share or borrow hair items such as combs, headbands, head gear, hats, headphones or other personal items.
• All clothing, head gear, scarves, towels and bedding should be washed in very hot water, followed by at least 20 minutes in the dryer on the hot cycle.
• Dry cleaning should suffice for blankets, jackets or other non-washables.
• Mattresses of infested persons should not be used for 48 hours in an effort to break the cycle of re-infestation.
• Soak all combs and brushes in hot water.
• When head lice is identified at school, daycare or home, inspect all family member's hair daily.
• If anyone has head lice, treat as soon as possible and according to package directions.

For more information on head lice, visit www.beatheadlice.ca

Tips on head lice from Ann Douglas

Ann Douglas is the author of 28 books, including numerous bestselling books in the pregnancy and parenting category. She is the creator of THE MOTHER OF ALL books series. Ann suggests these tips for parents when speaking to their children about head lice:

• Don't go buggy. Even if you're worried or upset about her case of head lice, try to keep your cool. You don't want your child to get the impression that you're angry with her or that you think it's her fault that she's infected.
• Bust the number one myth about head lice: that head lice only like dirty hair. Explain that head lice love any kind of hair. They don't care if it's clean or dirty.
• Go easy with the insect biology lessons. While some kids are eager to learn all about lice, others may have trouble going to sleep once they start thinking about insects and eggs on their heads.
• Be reassuring and upbeat. Let your child know that you'll beat the head lice together. She won't have to deal with an itchy head for much longer.

For more information on head lice, visit www.beatheadlice.ca

News Canada

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