Ann Arbor, MI 48103
(734)994-1934
(734)996-3014 FAX
Bill Harris, Principal
harrisw@aaps.k12.mi.us
Lice Information
Current Lice Status at Eberwhite
01/17/2013 08:30 AM - A case of head lice has been reported in a Kindergarten, First, & Fifth grade classrooms. Information and instructions were emailed home to the families. Please continue to regularly check your children for lice and report all cases to the office.
Where can I find a comprehensive guide to identify, treat, manage and prevent head lice?
Download the Michigan Department of Education Head Lice Manual
Download the AAPS Lice Prevention Manual
When do cases of head lice occur?
Any time children come together, particularly at the start of the school year or any social grouping, head lice cases commonly increase.
How are lice transmitted?
Direct, physical, head-to-head contact is the usual method of transmission. Lice do not jump, fly or swim. They are, however, good crawlers.
What can I do to help my child avoid getting lice?
| 1. | Encourage children not to share or trade personal items such as hats, combs, brushes, headbands, barrettes, as well as helmets or headphones with foam ear protectors. |
| 2. | Tell children to try to avoid touching heads with others and ask them not to try on other people's hats (even in department stores). |
| 3. | Teach children to hang personal gear such as coats separate from others (placing hats/scarves inside coat sleeves) and disinfect shared headgear (i.e. helmets, headphones) with Lysol or rubbing alcohol before using or sharing. |
| 4. | Check your child’s head weekly for lice and/or nits (eggs). Mature lice, which are no bigger than a sesame seed, avoid light and are hard to see. Lice eggs or “nits” are usually found close to the scalp - usually within 1/4 inch. They appear as tiny whitish ovals that are “glued” to the hair shaft. They cannot easily be flicked away as dandruff can. |
What do I do if I find head lice on my child?
| 1. | Please notify the school office immediately and keep him/her home until properly treated. (See below.) |
| 2. | Be sure to notify others the child has been in contact with such as friends and the leaders of other activities the child participates in. |
| 3. | When your child is ready to return to school without live lice and there are no nits within 1/4 inch of the scalp, bring your child to the school office to be checked before they report to their classroom. |
| 4. | Continue to examine all family members every 3-4 days for 3 weeks and treat if live lice or nits close to the scalp are found. |
How do I treat the lice?
| 1. | Comb through the hair and remove as many live lice from the head as you can. |
| 2. | Use an effective head lice shampoo. Due to lice building resistance to shampoos used repeatedly, no one brand of shampoo will work every time. Below are some products that Eberwhite parents have used and found effective. This is meant to be a reference, not an endorsement of these products over other products you may find available! - The Nuvo Method using Cetaphil - Olive Oil Protocol (PDF from the Lice Brigade) - LiceMD (pesticide-free) - LiceFreee! (homeopathic) - RidLice, NixLice |
| 3. | Comb through hair using a fine-tooth lice comb and/or two fingers sliding the nits off of the hair shaft ("nit-picking"), until all or most lice and nits are gone. This can take 1-8 hours according to one shampoo manufacturer! Complete nit removal is time-consuming but is critical for successful treatment. Sometimes a haircut can help speed up the process. |
| 4. | Remove all of the lice and nits from the home and car environment by washing or vacuuming. Playclothing, linens, art smocks, stuffed animals, and cloth toys used by an infested child within 2 days before diagnosis should be washed in hot water, or machine dried at the highest heat setting for at least 30 minutes. There is no need to spray pesticides. |
| 5. | Perform daily head checks and remove nits for 2-3 weeks until head lice and nits are gone. Continue to check your child weekly to detect reinfestation. |
When can my child return to school?
Once there are no remaining live lice and there are no nits within 1/4 inch of the scalp, your child may return to school. Remember to have your child's scalp inspected by the office before reporting to the classroom. (Note that before 2004 there was a "no nits" policy recommended by the Michigan Department of Education but this has since changed.)
What will Eberwhite do when a case of lice is reported?
| 1. | The classroom of the infested child will be thouroughly cleaned and children of that class will be reminded to avoid activities involving close contact and the sharing of personal items. |
| 2. | A letter will be sent home informing the parents of classmates and reminding them to check all of their children for head lice. |
What will Eberwhite do if a child is identified with lice during the middle of the school day?
The parents/guardians of the child with lice will be notified and if the child is not able to be picked up from school, the child will be allowed to continue regular school activities with their class for the remainder of that day. (The Department of Education is very interested in minimizing the amount of instructional time missed by students with lice.) The child will not be able to return to Eberwhite until receiving treatment.
Still have questions?
Consult the school office, your physician or local health department. If you know another parent who has had a child with lice, they can also be a valuable resource!
