We have been seeing cases of head lice at Greenfield since the start of the school year. Head lice are tiny insects that live only on the scalp of human beings. They do not have wings so they move from person to person by close contact or sharing of clothing (hats, hoodies). Anyone can get head lice. It is common in children as they come in close contact with one another when they play.
It is the responsibility of parents to do frequent head checks of their children, especially when there are cases in a school. We ask that you let your child’s teacher know so we can let other parents in your child’s class know to check for lice in their child’s hair. Below is information from the Canadian Paediatric Society that should be helpful.
Information for Parents & Caregivers – Head Lice
If your child has lice, you must:
- Use an approved lice treatment (Pharmacists can be very helpful is selecting the best treatment). Home remedies are not effective!
- Check all family members and treat anyone else who has live lice.
- Wash items such as hats, pillows, stuffed animals.
- Do a daily head check for the next 10 days.
- Do a repeat treatment after 7 – 10 days to kill any newly hatched lice.
Lice is not dangerous to one’s health but it is a nuisance. It can be very inconvenient for families so please do your best to check for head lice in your children’s hair and help us manage this problem.
