by Victoria Sambursky

Created on: September 16, 2009   Last Updated: September 18, 2009

It's back to school time and already you've received a notice, Your child has head lice. Now what? Lice are an unfortunate part of childhood, but it doesn't have to be a scary event. Twelve million cases of head lice are reported each year, making it a lot more common than most people realize. As a parent who has been through this myself, I realized quickly that it is important to have the correct information when faced with this issue. Too often, parents believe that using an over the counter lice shampoo is all you need to do to rid your child of lice. That kind of misinformation is what keeps lice coming back, children out of school and parents out of work. Education is key in helping to detect lice early, understanding the correct treatment methods and most importantly working towards future prevention. The information in this article will give all the necessary information you will need to make it through this school year armed with the right knowledge that will hopefully prevent these unwanted pests.

WHAT ARE LICE?

Lice are parasites that feed on blood from the human scalp. The lice life cycle has three stages: Nit (eggs), Nymph (baby louse) and Adult Louse.

- Nits: Nits are eggs laid by the adult female louse and are attached to the base of the hair shaft (about 1/4 of an inch from the scalp, some can be 1-2 inches so check the whole strand) by a strong glue-like salivary secretion. They are usually a yellowish-white color. However, they can also be brown or grayish in color blending in with its environment. It takes 7-10 days for a nit to hatch. Unlike dandruff, which can be mistaken for lice eggs, nits do not slide off the hair shaft easily.

- Nymphs: When a nit hatches, it releases a nymph. The nymph looks like an adult louse but is smaller. It may look like a speck of dirt or a freckle, so tap it to see if it moves, or take it out and inspect it. It takes 7-10 days for a nymph to mature and begin laying it's own eggs.

- Adult Louse: Once the nymph matures it becomes an adult louse. The adult is usually a rust or grayish color, but it can camouflage itself to match the color of it's environment. It is oval in shape, about 2mm-4mm in size (about the size of a sesame seed) with three pair of legs and can lay up to 3-8 nits per day. It can live on a head for up to 30 days.

SYMPTOMS:

- Scalp itching due to the secretion of salivary glue that bonds the eggs to the hair shaft. However, many children (50%) never itch as they do not develop an allergic

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