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Health Services » Head Lice (Pediculosis)

Head Lice (Pediculosis)

 
Head Lice
(All Grade Levels)
 
West ISD follows the Texas Department of State Health Services recommendations in the treatment of lice and the attendance guidelines for lice re-admittance to school. Scientific evidence supports our school policy of no exclusion from school for nits or lice alone. In unusual circumstances, school policy may be modified by the West ISD administration and the school principal. The best treatment is prevention. Throughout the school year, check your child’s hair regularly, especially after an overnight visit with other children. Teach your child to prevent the spread of lice by avoiding head-to-head contact, and sharing hats, combs, brushes, etc. Eggs (nits) are not 100% killed by lice treatments and they will hatch in 7-10 days. Therefore, remove all nits to permit early recognition of any new infestation. https://dshs.texas.gov/schoolhealth/lice.shtm 
 
West ISD Handbook Policy located under the

West ISD Handbooks and Forms 

  • Head Lice (All Grade Levels) Head lice is very common among children. Although not an illness or a disease, it spreads easily through head-to-head contact during play, sports, nap time, and when children share things like brushes, combs, hats, and headphones.
  • The District does not require or recommend that students be removed from school because of lice or nits.
  • If careful observation indicates that a student has head lice, the school nurse will contact the student’s parent to discuss a treatment plan using an FDA-approved medicated shampoo or cream rinse that may be purchased from any drug or grocery store.
  • After the student undergoes one treatment, the parent should contact the school nurse to discuss the treatment used. The school nurse can also offer additional recommendations, including subsequent treatments, how best to get rid of lice, and how to prevent lice from returning.
  • The District will provide notice to parents of elementary school students in an affected classroom without identifying the student with lice.
 

Managing Head Lice in School Settings and at Home

The following fact sheets (English and Spanish) are copyright-free and can be downloaded. They can be printed in black and white or in color to distribute to parents, caregivers, and school staff to inform them about head lice.  All are PDF documents.

Managing Head Lice in School Settings and at Home

The following fact sheets (English and Spanish) are copyright-free and can be downloaded. They can be printed in black and white or in color to distribute to parents, caregivers, and school staff to inform them about head lice.  All are PDF documents.

Head Lice (Pediculosis) Fact Sheets - English

Hojas Informativas Sobre los Piojos en la Cabeza - En Español

 

Head Lice Information for Parents

Español (Spanish) | Print

You should examine your child’s head, especially behind the ears and at the nape of the neck, for crawling lice and nits if your child exhibits symptoms of a head lice infestation. If crawling lice or nits are found, all household members should be examined for crawling lice and nits every 2–3 days. Persons with live (crawling) lice or nits within ¼ inch or less of the scalp should be treated.

More on Head Lice Symptoms

To eliminate head lice successfully, all treatment instructions and steps must be carefully followed and completed.

CDC does not make recommendations as to what specific product or products should be used to treat individuals. Both over-the-counter and prescription products are available. You may wish to contact your doctor, pharmacist, or health department for additional information about which product they recommend.

More on Head Lice Treatment

Children diagnosed with live head lice do not need to be sent home early from school; they can go home at the end of the day, be treated, and return to class after appropriate treatment has begun. Nits may persist after treatment, but successful treatment should kill crawling lice.

Head lice can be a nuisance but they have not been shown to spread disease. Personal hygiene or cleanliness in the home or school has nothing to do with getting head lice.

More on Lice Information for Schools

The informational materials on this website are in the public domain and can be printed for further copying and distribution.

 

Padres

Spanish (US) | Imprimir

Si su niño presenta síntomas de infestación de piojos o liendres (principalmente picor), examine su cabeza, en especial detrás de las orejas y en la nuca. Si encuentra piojos o liendres, todos los miembros de la familia se deberán examinar cada 2 o 3 días. Deben recibir tratamiento las personas que tengan piojos vivos (moviéndose) o liendres que estén a 1/4 de pulgada de distancia o menos del cuero cabelludo.

Para eliminar completamente los piojos vivos, es muy importante seguir bien todos los pasos que requiere el tratamiento, así como completarlo. Consulte nuestra página de Tratamiento para obtener información adicional.

Si su niño tiene una infestación activa, notifique a los padres de los compañeros de clase, así como a la escuela o guardería, a fin de que tomen medidas para evitar más contagios.

Los CDC no dictan recomendaciones sobre los productos específicos a utilizar para el tratamiento individual de cada paciente. Si desea saber qué producto disponible en su área ha resultado más eficaz en la eliminación de los piojos, consulte a su médico, su farmacéutico o el departamento de salud.

Los CDC tampoco recomiendan las políticas de “no liendres”, que requieren la eliminación total de las liendres como condición para que un estudiante pueda volver a la escuela. Se debe admitir de vuelta en la escuela o la guardería a los niños que hayan comenzado a recibir un tratamiento adecuado. Los piojos de la cabeza pueden ser molestos, pero no se ha demostrado que transmitan enfermedades.

Los materiales informativos que ofrecen los CDC en su sitio web sobre piojos son del dominio público y se pueden reproducir para su distribución; haga clic donde dice “versión para imprimir”, en la parte superior derecha de esta página web.

 
Pediculosis, or head lice, is a condition that affects school-aged children each year. Head lice will infest all socioeconomic groups, races, genders, and ages, but are more commonly found in children due to close contact with each other. Lice are not a sign of poor hygiene and they do not transmit disease. Head lice are parasites that are generally found on the scalp, around the ears, and at the back of the neck. The adult louse is about the size of a sesame seed and can be reddish brown. Eggs, or nits, are smaller and silver in color. They are firmly glued to the hair shaft. They may remain on the hair shaft for weeks, months, or even years.
 
The most common symptom of head lice is head scratching, particularly at night, although red bite marks may also be noticed. If you suspect that a child has head lice, have someone familiar with the procedure check the child’s head. Diagnosis is usually made based on symptoms and confirmed through the identification of a live louse on the head. Identification of a nit, egg, is not confirmation of a live infestation.
 
To treat head lice begin with an over-the-counter lice product and use a nit-picking fine tooth comb to remove any eggs, or nits, that may be found. It is important to follow the directions carefully. Parents will need to wash in hot water (130 degrees F) and dry in a dryer for 20 minutes all recently worn clothing, hats, bed linens towels, etc. used by the person(s) with head lice. Non-washable items should be dry-cleaned or sealed in a plastic bag for at least two weeks. Also, vacuum all carpets, upholstery, and mattresses. Personal care items such as combs, brushes, and hair clips, etc. should also be soaked in hot water (at least 130 degrees F) and pediculicide, and lice shampoo, for 5-10 minutes. Place pillows in the dryer for 20 minutes and DO NOT forget backpacks, jackets, and hair ornaments.
 
If the traditional treatment of lice is not successful, you may need to contact your healthcare provider. Studies have shown that head lice are learning to outsmart many neurotoxic pesticides and over-the-counter products, and are developing a resistance to these products. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the first and only prescription medication that kills head lice by asphyxiation without potential neurotoxic side effects.
 
Lice Facts:
  • Lice DO NOT fly, jump or hop from one person to another.
  • You ARE NOT more likely to get lice if you have long hair.
  • Lice ARE NOT more commonly found in people who are sick, have poor hygiene, or live in dirty houses.
  • You CAN NOT get lice from your dog, cat, gerbil, or other furry pet.
  • Lice DO NOT carry germs that cause illness.
  • People CAN NOT feel lice bite their scalps.
  • Lice bites DO NOT cause redness and rashes of the scalp.
  • Nits found anywhere on the head do not mean the child is still infested.
  • Pediculicides DO NOT cause neurologic damage and cancer.
  • Professional exterminators SHOULD NOT be hired to eradicate lice in schools and at home.

 

State Law and School Policies Addressing Head Lice

Laws, Rules, and Policies

No law in Texas addresses excluding children with head lice from school. The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) does not have the authority to impose a set policy on the exclusion or inclusion of students with head lice in school districts. DSHS urges school districts to ensure that its policies and procedures do not unnecessarily cause children to miss class. School districts’ policies and procedures should not encourage the embarrassment and isolation of students who have repeated cases of head lice.

Lice are not a public health threat. DSHS does not monitor or track cases of head lice because they do not carry disease. It is up to each school district to create head lice policies and procedures if they choose. Talk with the school nurse or school administration to determine the school district's policy and procedures. The "Setting Policies for School Districts" header below has policy suggestions.

According to a head lice research article published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in 2015, "No healthy child should be excluded from or allowed to miss school time because of head lice or nits. Pediatricians may educate school communities that no-nit policies for return to school should be abandoned." You can find information for schools at the end of the research article. 

Notice to Parents 

As of September 1, 2017, Texas Education Code, Chapter 38, Section 38.031, Notice of Lice, states the following: "The board of trustees of an independent school district shall adopt a policy requiring a school nurse of a public elementary school who determines or otherwise becomes aware that a child enrolled in the school has lice shall provide written or electronic notice of that fact to:

  1. the parent of the child with lice as soon as practicable but not later than 48 hours after the administrator or nurse, as applicable, determines or becomes aware of that fact; and
  2. the parent of each child assigned to the same classroom as the child with lice not later than the fifth school day after the date on which the administrator or nurse, as applicable, determines or becomes aware of that fact.”

More information about confidentiality is included within the law.

 

“No-Nit” Policies

A “no-nit” policy excludes students from school based on the presence of lice eggs, whether or not live lice are present. DSHS does not recommend a “no-nit” policy. DSHS does recognize that school districts may adopt one as a local option.

Head lice infestation is a social issue, not a health threat. “No-nit” policies over-emphasis head lice management rather than real, more important health concerns. This over-emphasis can lead to unproductive use of time by school staff and parents, missed classes, unnecessary absences, and parents missing work.

DSHS “No-Nit” Policy 

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Association of School Nurses have more information on "no-nit" policies for schools.