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School-Aged Children
head lice manners/protocol
My child played at a neighbor's house for 20 minutes 2 days ago. Yesterday, we went and played at another friend's house. Today, I find out that my neighbor's children have head lice. I have throughly checked my child and she does not show any signs. Should I call the friend we saw yesterday just in case? How long should I keep my child away from other children. I have not treated her with any special shampoos as my pharmacist said it is not smart to treat her until she has a confirmed case of lice and currently she does not. If she doesn't have it now, does that mean she won't get it?
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Re: head lice manners/protocol
Two years ago, I went through a long and vicious battle with head lice in my home.
The only way to combat this is by scrupulous honesty. My kids got it because DD's BFF's mom was ashamed and kept it hidden -- for weeks! We did not know that this child was the source, even though we let them know we had lice. It was only after a week or two that they confessed that they had also been dealing with it the whole time.
Call the second family and let them know that your kids were exposed, but that you have checked heads and found nothing so far. She will probably want to do her own check for a few days as well.
Anyway, I'd check your child's head every other day for the next week or so. Unless you know what you're looking for, lice and nits are incredibly hard to spot. Use Google Images to get an idea of what they look like -- but be aware that most cases in the first few pages are pretty extreme! The pics where you can hardly tell there are lice and nits are what your kid's head will look like, if they picked up lice from their playdate.
Only one or two of the little buggers need to cross over from the neighbor's kid to yours to start an infestation. Don't bother with special shampoos at this point; they're pretty toxic. Just keep a vigilant watch over your kids' heads for a few days.
If you find lice or nits, post on here, and I'll tell you the inside scoop on how to get rid of them. Do not believe the instructions on the shampoo bottle!
Any advice for how to take care of it for an 18 month old? She got it from my 15 year old sister who is here visiting for a month. I treated myself and sister. And did a deep clean of the house. As far as my daughter goes, i combed through her hair as thoroughly as possible. I found 2 little bugs, 1 big one and several nits. I got pretty much all of it i could see out. I plan to continue combing her hair for the next few days. I feel like the shampoo is just too much for her at this age. Am i right? Or should i treat her?
Tell you other neighbor. Check her 2x a day with a metal comb (you can buy them at the drug store or sweet and sassy). Tell people that you have plans with for the next week that your DC may have been exposed, but you haven't found any and let them tell you if they want to keep the plans. I would also buy some fairy tales (from sweet and sassy) or other lice preventative spray (tea trea oil works, you can add it to their shampoo and/or detangler you use). If you find nothing after a week, i think you're in the clear. But, I'd still keep checking weekly.
For the PP, the metal comb is the best for pulling out nits and lice. Nits look like tiny grains of rice and are stuck to the hair shaft. Plastic combs that come with the medicine are not as good at getting them out. You don't really have to worry about them on furniture, they can't live off of a human host for more than 24 hours. But, bag up all of the linen, blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, coats, bags, etc. that you may have come in contact with and put them through the dryer on high. Check combs and brushes too.
The shampoo only kills the mature lice. After my ordeal, I'd say that meticulous head checking (now I totally understand where the phrase "nit-picking" originated) is more effective than using shampoo, quite honestly.
And with an 18-month-old's relatively fine hair, I'd say you'll have an easier time checking for nits than you would with an older kid, although the squirminess of the average toddler will be working against you.
GL!
You can google natural remedies for directions. Since things like coconut oil are not toxic, they are a good preventative measure. To the OP, I would coat her hair, put on a cap and have her sleep in it. Wash as normal in the morning. If there is still no sign of lice, repeat in 3 days. By then, she should be clear. To the mom of the 18 month old, talk to her pediatrician.
Newlyweds since 2007