We guarantee that you’ll start scratching your head at some point during this article. Why? Because we're talking about head lice.
Yep, those parasitic creepy-crawlers are around, and as kids share their hats and scarves, there’s a chance that they’ve already invaded your school’s hallowed halls. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), between 6 and 12 million children aged 3 to 11 will become infested with head lice in the next year. Head lice and their accompanying eggs and “nits”—the adolescent version of adult head lice—can drive people of all ages mad with the itching.
Aside from the irritating itching, it seems like head lice and nits aren’t carriers of disease, nor do they debilitate their hosts to any great capacity. In light of a statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), some schools are relaxing their previous moratorium on attendance of lice-ridden students and allowing them to continue their studies with the rest of their compatriots.
The AAP’s statement offers updated guidance on treating head lice, saying that “head lice are often a fact of life for school-aged children” and:
While inconvenient, head lice cause no medical harm and can be effectively treated. […] Head lice are not a health hazard or a sign of poor hygiene and, in contrast to body lice, are not responsible for the spread of any disease. No healthy child should be excluded from or miss school because of head lice, and no-nit policies for return to school should be abandoned.
Dr. Jennifer Shu, pediatrician and spokeswoman for the AAP, reiterated to ABCNews that lice aren’t dangerous and “it’s more important for kids to go to school,” adding that “just being in the same classroom is not going to give you lice—you need close head-to-head contact.”
Carolyn Duff, President of the National Association of School Nurses and a practicing school nurse herself, agrees. “If you find live lice during the school day, it’s likely that child has had lice for weeks,” she told Slate. “Allowing that child to remain in the classroom for a few more hours is not putting children at risk.” In fact, transmission at school is rare; it more commonly occurs during sleepovers, play dates, or sleepaway camp than in a classroom.
In light of that information, some schools are relaxing their policies prohibiting students with head lice or nits from attending classes. In the Palos Heights School District, for example, School Nurse Mary Beierle says that her district has only seen a smattering of students with lice—about the same rate as they had with the stricter policies. The Boston school district allows schools to relax their no-nit policies, instead sending students home with a note for the parents and advising that “children with adult lice should receive treatment before they return to school.” Schools across the country from California to South Carolina have also begun adopting looser head lice policies, allowing students to continue their education without interruption.
Of course, not everyone agrees with the new laissez-faire proposals. Deborah Z. Altschuler, President of the National Pediculosis Association, accuses organizations like the AAP and the National Association of School Nurses of promoting “a reactive, exclusionary approach that treats the affliction with pesticides.”
Parents, too, have spoken out against the live-and-let-live head lice policies. Theresa Rice, parent of 8-year-old Jenna, told the NYDailyNews that she was "disgusted" by the school's policies, considering that her daughter has come home with lice three times since the school year began. Rice said that it's a four-hour process to comb through her daughter's long locks to pick out all the nits.
The NPA encourages a program of community education efforts and an emphasis on early detection that they believe constitutes a “successful approach” to the problem. The CDC does warn that secondary infections can occur from the constant scratching head lice can inspire.
By now, we expect that you’ve scratched at least one phantom itch from imaginary head lice. Take comfort in the fact that while head lice are annoying and can possibly spread through your school—however unlikely that is—at least they transmit no other disease besides that of irritation.
Additional ISM resources:
ISM Monthly Update for Business Managers Vol. 7 No. 7 The D.L. on Those Itchy Mites Disrupting Your Classroom
Private School News Vol. 8 No. 7 Pesticides on Your Floor?
Additional ISM resources for Gold Consortium members:
I&P Vol. 35 No. 1 Does Your Crisis Plan Really Protect Your Students (and School)?
