Safely screen, detect, and remove head lice and nits.

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Head lice can be a pesky problem

“I’m starting to see a few cases of head lice now that kids have been in school awhile. The critters are white and about the size of a sesame seed. They are known as “obligate ectoparasites.” Obligate means they require a placental mammal host to survive (i.e. humans) and ectoparasites means they live outside the human body and need a host to survive. They do this by feeding on the host’s blood and can’t live off of a body for more than a day or so. Lice are spread by direct contact of a person’s head or hair with an infested individual or through sharing personal items such as hats, towels, brushes, helmets, hair ties or even car seat headrests. They do not jump or fly and are not transmitted by pets…

Treatment of lice requires a lot of patience. There really is no substitute for manual removal using meticulous combing with a lice comb. The patient or parent(s) of a child must take the time to properly comb every strand of hair to remove the lice and nits. Most experts recommend combing every three days for a couple of weeks.

Re-infestations are usually the result of improper removal of lice and nits. Chemical treatments kill live lice, but not the eggs. The treatments therefore have to be repeated in seven to ten days to kill lice after they hatch. Chemical treatments come in two varieties: insecticides and those that suffocate the lice. Insecticides are not benign. They should be used with caution in those with asthma, seizures, brain tumors, cancer, HIV and pregnant or nursing mothers…

Pesticide sprays do much more harm than good and are not recommended. Family members or other people who live in close contact with an infested person should be screened using the LiceMeister® comb.”

– Dr. John Roberts in The Times.

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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; 95% CI, 2.71-20.5), they said.

“The most basic thing that providers need to do is make sure we’re being really complete in our counseling,” Wiley told Infectious Diseases in Children. “My experience has been that a lot of providers are very good about talking about using the epinephrine injector, and they’re pretty good about talking about coming into the hospital, but I think it’s actually pretty rare for physicians to be explicit about antihistamines as being something that’s helpful for some symptoms like rash or itchiness, but not life-saving.”

From “Antihistamines Only Delay Emergency Treatment for Anaphylaxis” on HEALIO.

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Always Provide a Non-Chemical Choice for Head Lice Removal

The National Pediculosis Association Reminds Parents, School Administrators and Health Professionals To Provide a Non-Chemical Choice on Head Lice For Children, Families, and Yourself!

NEWTON, MASS. (PRWEB) SEPTEMBER 03, 2019

Children of any age or size are vulnerable to the harmful effects of pesticides. They also often have pregnant or nursing mothers who should never be exposed to chemical treatments either by applying them to themselves or to others. Too many people unfortunately overuse chemical agents out of fear and frustration without adequate warning of the risks to themselves and the environment. “Children’s exposures to pesticides should be limited as much as possible.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23184105/

Each of us has unique vulnerabilities. Pesticide products can accumulate in the human body and they are not necessarily washed away at the end of the treatment, as people would like to think. The overuse of lice products can predispose a person to adverse reactions with even one additional chemical exposure. It’s not worth taking unnecessary risks when the bottom line will always be the manual removal of lice and nits.

None of the available chemical treatments are 100% effective and too many people are told to seek prescriptions after other treatments fail. Prescriptions then become the most potentially harmful treatment of them all! Pesticides pose a risk to all children, and none are more at risk than the growing number treated for illnesses and/or on medication.

Everyone needs a safe non-chemical way to screen, detect, and thoroughly remove head lice and their eggs (nits). To serve these purposes, the National Pediculosis Association sponsors National Head Lice Prevention Month each September to last the whole year long. The NPA developed and recommends the LiceMeister® comb to accomplish its mission. Visit http://www.HeadLice.org and http://www.LiceMeister.com for more help and information.

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September is National Head Lice Prevention Month

September is National Head Lice Prevention Month – Time for Parents to CombFirst! ‘Everyone Wins When Everyone Combs’

NEWTON, MASS. (PRWEB) – AUGUST 27, 2019

Just in time for the National Pediculosis Association’s (NPA) National Head Lice Prevention Month kick-off on September 1 and its message to parents—CombFirst!

The organization has launched mobile-friendly redesigns of HeadLice.org and LiceMeister.com in conjunction with its annual educational campaign to help families prevent, manage and treat children with head lice, safely and effectively. The campaign emphasizes the importance of routine screening, early detection and the most important public health measure of sending children to school without lice and nits (eggs).

“The NPA’s message is especially timely, as the FDA recently reissued its own outdated instructions for back-to-school, and a set of guidelines that ignores the advances made in combing tools for families to use at home as well as the availability of nit-removal services for those who choose to seek assistance. Parents simply can’t rely on government agencies for proper guidance on lice prevention and treatment and must be prepared for pediculosis (lice infestation) regardless of school policy, FDA dogma or product marketing information,” said Deborah Altschuler, President of the NPA.

“Parents who have a quality lice comb can identify and successfully end an infestation early and safely, when there are fewer lice and nits present. Everyone wins when everyone combs! Each child protected from a pesticide shampoo is a victory for that child.” she added. The NPA encourages parents and school nurses to include children in the conversation about head lice. Otherwise their imaginations can run wild. https://www.headlice.org/comb/include-children-in-head-lice-conversations/


Concerned about the risks of pesticide and chemical-based treatments the NPA has been promoting this safer approach since it was incorporated as a nonprofit education and research association in 1983. They’ve kept up the drumbeat reaching out to inform and prepare each new generation of parents, who armed with accurate information, will not feel desperate or panicked about head lice.

Combs such as the NPA’s LiceMeister® comb, accepted by the FDA as a 510(k) medical device, have changed best practices, making it realistic and practical for parents to screen, detect and remove head lice and nits successfully at home. The NPA suggests after bath time and before bed as a good time for parents to regularly check their children’s hair. The health and wellness benefits of combing are immeasurable. The NPA is confident that parents can and will CombFirst!

Parents can find more educational resources at https://www.HeadLice.Org and videos to help them with combing at https://www.LiceMeister.com, including a tutorial on How Mary protected her kids from lice and risky chemicals: https://bit.ly/2Z04tt9.

Head Lice Preparedness
Back to School – CombFirst!

About the National Pediculosis Association:

The National Pediculosis Association (NPA) is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization dedicated to setting the highest possible public health standards for children as they relate to the communicability and safest possible treatment of children with head lice. The NPA is comprised of volunteers including its Scientific Advisory Board. As part of its mission, the NPA developed the LiceMeister® comb. All proceeds from the comb allow the NPA to maintain independence from product manufacturers and accomplish its mission to protect children from the misuse and abuse of pesticides for lice. For more information, please see LiceMeister.com and HeadLice.org.

Media should contact Dawn Ringel at (781) 449-8456 or dawn@ringelpr.com, or Deborah Altschuler at npa@headlice.org or (617) 905-0176

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When children aren’t included in the conversation about head lice their imaginations can run wild

When children aren’t included in the conversation about head lice their imaginations can run wild.

When children aren’t included in the conversation about head lice their imaginations can run wildRead More

What Do Lice Look Like & How To Do Away With Them Fast

The Ultimate Guide That Puts Kids First

When parents discover their child has lice their typical reaction is dread. The dread comes from not really knowing what to do while feeling pressure to address the situation immediately.

It’s easy to understand why.

There is an overwhelming amount of information about lice on the web with all sides weighing in: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the National Pediculosis Association (NPA), the National Association of School Nurses, researchers, public health departments, school districts, universities, hospitals, allopathic health practitioners, holistic health practitioners, mommy blogs, mainstream news media, alternative news media, professional lice treatment services and pharmaceutical and chemical companies.

How do you decide the best course of action?

See entire article from safebabyhealthychild.com.

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