Lemberg Children's Center

Head lice are tiny insects (less than one-eighth inch long) that

• Live on blood they draw from a person’s head. They do not carry disease.
• Live for days to weeks depending on temperature and humidity.
• Crawl. They do not hop or fly.
• Deposit tiny gray/white eggs, known as nits, on a hair shaft 3-4 mm (1/4 inch) from the scalp because the eggs need the warmth from the scalp for hatching.
• Cannot live for more than 48 hours away from the scalp as adult insects, and as eggs, cannot hatch at temperatures lower than those found close to the scalp.
• An infestation may cause irritation and scratching that can persist for weeks after an infestation is resolved. The child’s scratching can lead to a secondary skin infection.

• Itching of skin where lice feed on the scalp or neck or complaints about itchiness by older children.
• Nits may be glued to hair, most easily seen behind ears and at or near the nape of the neck.
• Scratching, especially behind and around ears and at the nape of the neck.
• Open sores and crusting from secondary bacterial infection may be associated with swollen lymph nodes (commonly called swollen glands).

• Incubation period: 10-14 days from laying to hatching of eggs. (Lice can reproduce 2-3 weeks after hatching.)
• Contagious period: Until lice are killed with a chemical treatment.

Head lice are spread through direct contact with infested hair. Only lice, not nits, spread the infestation. Almost all transmission is from direct head-to-head (hair-to-hair) contact as lice cannot jump or fly to another person's hair. Children often spread head lice to each other during close contact while playing. Indirect transmission of lice from hats, caps, hair brushes, combs, headphones, and other objects is less common. Most transmission of lice occurs in homes, not other public places. Sleepovers and bed-sharing are a major source. Head lice infestations occur in all socio-economic groups and do not represent poor hygiene. Head lice do not cause disease; however, they can spread quickly and can be a nuisance for those experiencing an infestation.

Yes, at the end of the program day.

• When a child is found with lice and/or nits during the program day the parent is notified and referred for treatment. The child may remain in the program through her/his scheduled pick-up time that day.
• The teachers do their best to assist the child in avoiding activities that may involve head-to-head contact with other children and/or the sharing of head garments until the end of the program day.

No-nit policies that required children to be nit free are not recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health because they have not been shown to be effective in controlling outbreaks, may keep the child out of the program needlessly, and unduly burden the child's parents/guardians who must implement this measure.

After the child has received the treatment recommended by the child's health professional.

We explain to the children that head lice are interesting little bugs that like to live in our hair and the problem is that they make our head itchy. One family told their child who had contracted head lice, "These little bugs look for the nicest, warmest, coziest place to live, and your head is that place."

We certainly do not want to frighten or stigmatize the children, so simple age-appropriate explanations are best. As with other topics children ask us about, rather than immediately supplying an answer, we ask the child what s/he thinks about the topic. This helps us to better recognize the child's level of understanding of the topic and the level of information needed to satisfy their curiosity.