Safer Child Products

Head Lice.  Just the thought of it is enough to make any parent cringe and scratch their head.  If you’ve ever had it visit your family, and been the one to treat it, it probably makes you want to cry, and scratch your head! Lice are tiny insects that can only live on the human scalp.  They need human blood to survive.  They are about the size and color of a sesame seed.  Do not fool yourself by saying “this could not happen to us, we are very clean”.  Cleanliness is NOT an indicator on who will get lice.  According to LiceMD, “They crawl from one person to another and are spread by direct hair-to-hair contact. Other means of spreading is from the sharing of combs, hats, helmets, scarves, headphones, pillows or other personal items.”

Many young children love to play dress-up.  Make a rule that they cannot share any hats or crowns, even when going out to play.  If your children are in school, remind them that rugs are for sitting on, not for laying on.  Why take a chance that someone who unknowingly has lice was just rolling around on the rug.  Even at home, try to keep hair brushes and pony tail holders separate for each child.  If going on a sleepover, tell your child they must bring and use their own pillow, for everyone’s protection.

If you discover that your child does have lice, don’t keep it a secret.  It’s not worth being embarrassed over.  It is very important to tell the teacher and anyone that your child works or plays closely with.  Think about them leaning head to head reading or working on a project together. 

Invest in a very fine toothed comb and a magnifying glass.  Check your children regularly, so you can catch it early.  I checked my kids before they went back to school, so I knew that we were starting the year free of any little pests. 

The next step in lice treatment will be to strip all bedding and stuffed toys.  What you can wash, do so in HOT water and dry on High Heat.  Anything that cannot be washed seal in a plastic bag for 2 weeks.  Clean out hair brushes and put them in hot soapy water for 5-10 minutes. 

There are many different recipes for treating or killing head lice.  LiceMD, RID, even Mayonnaise! (In some cities you can even hire a professional “nitpicker”!)  You may want to talk to your doctor or pharmacist about a treatment that is right for you.  Most important is that fine tooth comb and magnifying glass.  Even after killing the lice, it is essential for you to comb the nits or eggs from the hair.  You must keep checking over the next 10 days to be sure that there are no new hatchlings.  When you comb, be sure to take very small sections at a time, and comb in different directions, concentrating on the scalp, nape of the neck, and behind the ears.

Another tip:  If your child has lice, check their siblings and yourself as well.  You may want to sit your child in front of a DVD to occupy them while you comb out their hair to minimize the whining and crying.  It’s worked for us!

Visit http://headlicecenter.com/head-lice/head-lice-treatments/ for even more discussion on head lice and treatment options.