Oklahoma lawmakers have been known to conduct themselves in curious ways, but a bill passed by the Oklahoma House of Representatives left us scratching our heads. If senators fail to kill House Bill 3159, which would allow students infected with head lice to continue attending class, that itch — like head lice — will spread quickly. The only way to prevent head lice from spreading is to treat the host, killing the lice and nits. If senators fail to kill House Bill 3159, which would allow students infected with head lice to continue attending class, that itch — like head lice — will spread quickly. The only way to prevent head lice from spreading is to treat the host, killing the lice and nits. See full article. 3/25/02. Muskogee Phoenix. …
Reflections, Part Two: Kids, pesticides & science
"Being a parent has shaped my 25 years at PAN in fundamental ways. My first several years with the organization I was part of a job-share with another young mom, tag-teaming our organizing efforts to win a global ban of the fumigant pesticide methyl bromide. The more I learned about this dangerous chemical, the more protective I felt of our infant daughter Linnea — and the more horrified I was about the millions of children around the world who are regularly exposed to this and other pesticides. In 1999 our son Connor was born. After my maternity leave I dove into work on the Stockholm Convention, an international treaty that targets persistent organic pollutants for global phaseout. These chemicals travel the globe and biomagnify up the food chain, building up in the fatty tissues of our …
Kids have allergic reactions to lice treatments
Antihistamines only delay emergency treatment for anaphylaxis Giving antihistamines to children who experience anaphylaxis only endangers their lives by delaying emergency treatment, researchers reported. Instead, children should be administered epinephrine and go straight to the ED. Evan Wiley, MD, a pediatric resident at Jacobi Medical Center in New York, and another colleague reviewed the medical records of children and young adults who were admitted to a community pediatric hospital between July 2015 and January 2019. They found that 72% of patients who first took antihistamines at home delayed seeking medical care compared with only 25% of those who did not take them. Patients who took antihistamines were more than seven times more likely to delay emergency treatment (OR = 7.45; …
Do It 4 the Kids
Lots of folks have misconceptions about head lice and the people who have them. Head lice can affect anyone: rich or poor, young or old, male or female. An outbreak of head lice in your family does not mean that you're a bad housekeeper or that you don't bathe. It does mean loss of school for kids, loss of work time for parents, and the often unnecessary use and misuse of potentially harmful pesticide treatments. The sooner nits (louse eggs) and head lice are detected, the easier and quicker it is to control and remove them.... because they multiply quickly. This is the reason why the National Pediculosis Association® (NPA) recommends that parents screen their children regularly (several times a week) as part of routine hygiene. It's up to you to do it 4 the kids! To help with this …
Should Kids with Lice Stay in Class?
The Doctors discuss whether children with lice should be allowed to remain in class or be kept at home until cleared? They are joined by retired school nurse Deborah Pontius and Deborah Altschuler, President of National Pediculosis Association, to weigh in on the subject. Deborah Pontius says, "The evidence just doesn't support excluding children from school for either nits or lice." She says while she was a nurse, she found that other children in the classroom with kids with lice were not getting them. "This action of excluding children and checking every child in a classroom just isn't supported by research [and] isn't supported by evidence," she contends. Adding,"Extremely rarely is lice actually transmitted in school." She says she feels that children should not be removed from the …
Resistant Lice? A Crisis for the Kids
From the Progress Newsletter, Spring 1996. The National Pediculosis Association has issued an alert to warn American families. The NPA reports that a worst-case scenario is emerging, as head lice appear to be resistant to commercially available chemical treatments. With resistance to the prescription chemical lindane already documented, it is likely that the over-the-counter pediculicides have followed suit. Lice resistance to permethrin was anticipated in 1990 by doctors John D. Edman, Medical Entomologist and John M. Clark, Insecticide Toxicologist, both at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. For the past year, the NPA has been averaging 50 calls a day from parents and health professionals reporting product treatment failure. Frustrated parents have responded to persistent …
Welcome to HeadLice.Org!
Every Month is Head Lice Prevention Month! Parents looking for immediate help with head lice, here’s what to do and what not to do. What To Do About Head Lice Parents naturally put their children first, constantly seeking information to keep their families nurtured and safe. But when it comes to head lice, they're often confronted with conflicting guidance and misinformation—leading them to make potentially risky and ineffective treatment decisions. Among the hazards are serious health effects from repeated exposure to various pesticide remedies, treatment failures, lice resistance, and chronic infestations that make parents and children feel desperate and overwhelmed. The NPA advises parents to comb first, to discontinue the use of any treatment at the earliest sign of failure, …
Downloadable Resources for Parents and Schools
Here are some videos and easily downloadable and printable resources related to head lice and best-practice related to head lice and head lice removal. Publications The NPA's No Nit PolicyFrequently Asked Questions SheetThe Deceptive Dozen: The NPA Offers 12 Important Tips to Help Parents Avoid Misleading Information on Head LiceChild Care Provider's Guide10 Tips or Head Lice & Nit RemovalPharmacist's Guide to Head LiceWhy to Provide a Non-Chemical OptionKids At Risk ChecklistA Notice for Parents10 Steps To Staying Ahead of LiceJust for Kids: In this section you will find information and activities designed by kids for kids, including the Latest Greatest Coloring Book On Lice©. Videos and Posters Boss LouseTM Campaign Poster"Kids Know" & "September" BannersDo It 4 The …
September is National Head Lice Prevention Month
September is National Head Lice Prevention Month. The campaign aims to remind parents to screen the kids regularly, detect lice and nits early and remove them. Just like hand washing, combing children for head lice is a basic hygiene measure. Thorough removal of lice and nits provides a reliable approach for parents and accomplishes what shampooing with potentially risky chemicals cannot. Combing enables families to be self-reliant and proactive. The US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) educational information includes combing as a complete non-chemical treatment method for pediculosis. Parents should be encouraged to keep treatments chemical and toxic free and warned to avoid the surprise of head lice and the unfortunate abundance of misleading information on the …