How to deal with head, lice

Press, 29 March 1980, Page 10

How to deal with head, lice

By

LEONE STEWART

A Halswcll mother whose eight-year-old daughter came home from school recently with head lice wonders'why the Department of Health does not inform all parents of procedures before cases are reported. Mrs Leith Holland has been checking her daughter for head lice daily since the pupils in the infant department at Oaklands School contracted head lice recently.

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found the signs of eggs and lice. “It was a very busy day for me and I did not think of keeping her home then 1 decided 1 would attend to it when she got home,” Mrs Holland said yesterday. "In the rush I just did npt think to report it immediately.” A neighbour had told her about washing all the heads in the family with a special shampoo, and washing anything that had come in contact with their heads. But Mrs Holland believes all parents should be told in advance what to do if their child does come home with head lice. “The instructions come only when the case is confirmed. When we have a public health problem in the city we should know what to do about it beforehand,” she said. Mrs Holland suggests that posters could also be put up in, shop windows by the Department of Health. “I’ve been told by a friend who encountered the problem in England that she had been instructed to keep her children home until they were treated. “At present in Christ-

church we have a time lag between discovery of infection, and treatment. In the meantime the lice are hopping about, infecting everyone,” she said. “In spite of everything you do, your child is very likely to be reinfected the next day.” Because of her neighbour’s experience. Mrs Holland had been checking her daughter’s head. “But it was the day after I found the lice that a newsletter

came from the school telling us to be vigilant. It did not say cases had to be reported immediately, and the child kept home until treated,” she said. Mrs Holland is also concerned people may not know how much work is involved in treating head lice. “As well as shampooing all the heads in the family you should wash all bed linen, towels, face flannels. hair brushes. Washed items are supposed to be ironed, especially the flaps of pillow cases.

“Blankets should at least be aired in the sun. And all this has to be done on the same day, or your

just gel the cycle repeating itself.” She also found the special shampoo she bought from a chemist “quite expensive,” at $l.BO a tube. She needed three tubes for one treatment of her family of four. In some cases free supplies can be obtained from schools.

Dr M. A. Brieseman, deputy medical officer of health in Christchurch, comments that the Depart-

merit of Health has found the news media the best channel for informing the public. “We have circularised fhe newspapers in Christchurch with full details on procedures for checking and treating head lice,” he said.

Children need not. be kept at home until their heads are treated, according to Dr Brieseman. “Head lice don’t jump across spaces. They- are passed on by contact. Parents should just warn their children not to swap combs, or jersies, or rub heads in playground games.” he said. "Often the problem is

that. parents don’t know what they should be looking for. Most often you don’t see the lice initially, just the eggs.” The department has also issued all schools with a full set of instructions for treatment. Posters for shop or school display are available from the department.

“Highly magnified pictures of head lice could scare people.” said Dr Brieseman. “It is difficult to get good illustrations which show parents what they will see if their child has head lice.”

Head lice are generally regarded as a problem only “if your child gets them.”

Dr Brieseman explains that outbreaks seem to occur separately in different parts of the city.

Outbreaks can be contained if treated promptly, and thoroughly: “So many parents think their children won’t get head lice and don’t check frequently enough. Others do the shampooing, and not all the other procedures.” Fashions for long hair, and neglect of regular washing are, in his opinion, the main reasons for head lice re-appearing in the community.