Child care and protection from head lice

Children's rights in protection and getting rid of lice

The problem of head lice is as old as humans and its effect showed up in the mummies of Ancient Egyptians.

Head lice:

They are small parasitic insects which live in the head, grow up in the hair, and feed on human blood through stinging the scalp, thereupon a person feels itch and discomfort; these insects spread rapidly among school students.

Facts about head lice:

1- Lice move from a head to another if both heads touch each other or when the infected head touches the body of a healthy person whether directly or indirectly.

2- Head lice do not jump, fly, come from the air, or from the ground.

3- Lice do not live on pets, but only live in humans' heads.

4- Lice are not connected by a certain season as some people believe that they come in summer, autumn, or during the academic year.

5- Lice do not live outside the human head because they live on blood, so if a louse falls outside the head, it dies within two days.

6- Until now, it was not proven that lice transmit certain epidemic diseases.

7- Nobody has immunity against head lice. Lice hit the white-skinned people more than black people.

8- Head lice can live underwater for 24 hours and are not killed by soap. Lice hit the clean and the unclean, the rich and the poor, the white and the black, and the Arabs and non-Arabs.

9- Lice spread more in places of gatherings such as schools and camps.

Facts about the ways of getting rid of lice:

1- The perfect way to get rid of lice is using a topical lotion or a cream for the scalp along with combing the lice eggs outside the hair; pharmaceuticals are either herbal or chemical.

2- Using vaseline or mayonnaise does not benefit at all in getting rid of lice.

3- Head shaving is not necessary during treatment, but shaving the head is the shortest way for eliminating lice, as it is a prophetic treatment.

4- Using of Kerosene, benzene, and insecticide directly on the head is forbidden because they have dangerous effects on children.

Methods of protection against lice:

1- When a person is infected with head lice, it is preferable for all the family members to use an anti - lice medicine during the period of infection and two weeks after the total cure.

2- Observing children's schools, classes, and mates, and making sure that every school has an instruction sign to fight lice.

3- School and social awareness of the dangers and harms of head lice.

4- Personal hygiene and not to use third party tools such as combs, head cover, headphones, hats, sanitary towels, blankets, and pillows.

5- Avoid touching your head the heads of others.

For more details about head lice, ask and consult the family pharmacist.