The discovery of lice on a child’s body no longer means they are guaranteed a day off school, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The health agency recently updated guidance on when to treat the illness after insects are discovered on a child’s head.
For many years, it was recommended that children with head lice be sent home from school and treated immediately. Additionally, parents were advised not to send their child back to school until insect eggs (called nits) could no longer be detected on the child’s scalp.
According to the updated guidelines, although children with ear infections should be treated, the need for immediate treatment is not as urgent as once thought.
“You do not need to send students with head lice home early from school,” according to information on the CDC website. “Students with lice can go home at the end of the day, undergo treatment and return to class after starting appropriate treatment.”
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The guidelines also say, “Nits may remain in the hair after treatment, but successful treatment will kill the crawling lice.”
In addition, the CDC has suggested that schools end the “nit-free” policy that requires a child to be rid of insect eggs before returning to school, citing the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National Association of School Nurses (NASN).
According to the CDC, many nits are more than 1/4 inch away from the scalp, meaning it’s unlikely that live, crawling lice will hatch or end up in an egg case with no insects inside.
Additionally, according to the CDC, “nits attach to hair and are very unlikely to be transmitted to other people.”
Regarding the decision to change school policies, the CDC said, “Unnecessary days off are a burden on students, families and communities and far outweigh the risks associated with head lice.”
In addition, misdiagnosis of nits is common during nit checks performed by non-medical professionals according to the CDC.
Michigan’s local Fox affiliate, Fox 17, spoke with Joann Hoganson, Director of Community Wellness, Kent County Health Department, who emphasized why the guidelines are safe.
“Lice is not considered a contagious disease because lice do not transmit disease,” Hoganson said.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education