Head Lice: Too Good Not To Share

After publishing an article on a new report claiming that head lice are not such a big deal, reader Bob Mellman wrote Patch to share a song he wrote about nits that is hilarious. It's called Who Likes Lice? and you can hear it at www.myspace.com/bobmellman. He said his own kids have endured head lice over the years, so he knows what he's talking about.

And here's the original article below:

Has your kid ever had head lice? If so, then they've probably been forced to miss school for an extended period of time. But a new report released this week claims that head lice is not such a big deal - and certainly no reason to keep kids out of school. Montclair mothers, however, expressed a range of emotions. Even so, the American Academy of Pediatrics said an infestation of head lice does not pose enough of a hazard to warrant strict policies.

"I've never experienced head lice but have heard it's a bear to get rid of - have to clean the sofa cushions, etc.," said Robin Hoffman, mother of two young boys. "That does not sound appealing to me, but [the school issue] is not something I'd chose to be real upset over. If unvaccinated kids were allowed into schools, that would bother me much more."

Jennifer Conroy, another mother of two, said that: "My daughter has had head lice twice in her life, and once I figured out how to get rid of it, I stopped fretting over it. Cases happen all the time in my kids' schools, and I think it's silly how upset we get over it. Of course, parents need to know how to get rid of it. But as long as everyone is educated and knows to keep their heads to themselves, kids should not have to miss school over it. It's not like a case of tuberculosis. There are worse things that we can spread around out there."

But when asked whether kids with head lice should be allowed in school, another woman, Susan Flaherty, a mother of three, said: "Absolutely not, head lice spread like rapid fire!"

Another mother Emily Wittmann said that: "No child with active head lice should be allowed back into school until they are cleared by the school nurse to be lice free!!!!  I also believe there should be a school rule that makes all children with long hair wear ponytails."

And Emily Grand, another mother of three, said that before any policy is set, kids with head lice should be invited to share a rest mat and head phones with the policymaker first. Then, when he's done treating his own head lice, "we can see what policy he recommends," she said.

Meanwhile, it does appear that most school districts have lightened up over the past year or so when it comes to head lice.

Dr. Barbara Weller, principal at Charles H. Bullock Elementary School in Montclair, said only that "kids with lice are sent home for treatment. The nurse checks them upon return."

In addition, there is nothing about a no-nits policy on the Montclair Public School District Web site.

Many school districts, such as the Millburn School District, have formally announced that they've completely done away with their no-nit policies for readmitting students to school.

Specifically, in its new report, the American Academy of Pediatrics is urging all schools to get rid of the "no nits" policies that require kids to be lice-free, and sometimes for several days, before allowed back into school.

But there is some bad news: the report says many of the more common treatments for getting rid of head lice, including prescription medicines and over-the-counter creams and conditioners, may no longer be effective because lice have built up such a resistance to them.

For information on the academy's new guidelines for treating head lice, go here.

Pediculosis, also known as head lice, is defined as tiny parasitic insects that can be found on the head and the body. Head lice start out as "nits" or eggs, which hatch into "nymphs" for seven days, then grow into adult lice. Lice are usually detected at the adult stage because nymphs are small and avoid light, according to the  Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Web site.