Kids Can Go to School With Head Lice, But Schools May Disagree

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I was completely unaware of this change in both national health opinnion and change in school policy...where it has ocurred...until today when the issue came up. I don't understand how there could be no evidence to support that keeping a child home during treatment doesn't reduce the risk of spreading. I guess I will have to read more about this.

Perplexted of NH 8:53PM April 16, 2013

I can't stand people that send their licey kids to school. My daughter has gotten lice 3 times so far all fromm the same kid and of this I'm sure so I kept her home just this once she missed 2 days and I spoke to the office staff as to why she missed and I asked for the nurse to do a head check but they didn't because I asked my daughter well I ended up with lice and I asked my. Dr for medication because I could not do my own hair well I was treated like a leper I had to have a disposable pillow case on my head then they had the chairs etc cleaned etc it was awful so why do schools not take this serious. I swear if we end up with them again I will collect some in a jar and put them on the principle. There is no reason for a kid that has lice crawling visibly in hair /forehead andf so much nits it looks like dry cheap hair spray to be in school. I know I sound mean but I do my part by cleaning my kids hair asap but after going through the embarrasment of my expierience I wish it on no one and if a medical office is that careful then why not the schools by keeping the nit free policy

mad mom of TX 7:43PM February 21, 2013

Well all I have to say is way back when my daughter was in kindergarten she kept getting headlice. And back then the school would call me to come get her, I would take her to our dr and get medication for the whole family called bactrim which is an antibiotic that kills lice. I removed all lice and did all house hold duties. The catch is you have to take the meds for 3 days twice a day, well even though I had the drs note that she could return to school I kept her home those 3 days to remove all nits. I even took her to the school to show I was having a hard time removing all of them due to poor site but that they were dead. They refused my daughter to be there till nit free and had me in and out out court for truancy. Where is that fair? I did the right thing. So from jow on, even though I have never had a problem since I will send my kids to school, and let them know about the condition. But will be making a dr appointment at the same time. It the school sends them home it has to be excused..

my opinion of WI 11:52PM January 15, 2013

SELSA, I completely agree with you!
Amen:)

Krista of CA 4:01PM January 08, 2013

Maybe you have never had lice before. It takes a lot of work and time to become lice free once your child brings it home from school. I disagree with you. Kids with lice and nits should be kept home. My child brought home lice and the entire family got infected. It took us 2 weeks to become lice free. Once we returned to school, guess what happened. The same exact child who caused the outbreak, still had lice and remember this was already a few weeks later. The school sent the child home and the parents got a doctor's note and the child was back the next day. Full of nits in her hair. Sitting next to my child, who was NEVER sent to school by me with nits in her hair. I made sure of that. So now I am supposed to be worried to get the lice again from that same family???? The infected child should be kept away from the rest of the children until he or she is completely lice and nit free. Have common sense people!!!

Krista of CA 3:58PM January 08, 2013

I myself am a mother of 3 girls and my 8 yr old came home on a Wednesday with head lice three days later I had finally gotten rid of it. I turned around sent her to school Monday then Tuesday I was right back at it again but with my two oldest girls. Back when I went to school I was sent home I remember my mother going through every strand of my hair picking the eggs out one by one while sitting outside. I have learned how to take control the first time by my mother's experience. Allowing children to saty in schooling just makes it all the hard for not only that family but the rest of the other childrens families as well (" NITS NO LICE!")

Michelle of MI 10:37PM October 25, 2012

I myself am a mother of # girls and my * yr old came home on a Wednesday with head lice three days later I had finally gotten rid of it. I turned around sent her to school Monday then Tuesday I was right back at it again but with my two oldest girls. Back when I went to school I was sent home I remember my mother going through every strand of my hair picking the eggs out one by one while sitting outside. I have learned how to take control the first time by my mother's experience. Allowing children to saty in schooling just makes it all the hard for not only that family but the rest of the other childrens families as well (" NITS NO LICE!")

Michelle of MI 10:33PM October 25, 2012

As a parent to 3 girls and a hairdresser over 12 years - It is important that schools keep the "no nit / No lice" policy and any child found to have nits or lice should be sent home right away, otherwise the infestations will continue on and on all year. It is also very important that parents teach their kids about not sharing personal items such as brushes, hats, hair accessories etc. It is very costly and time consuming to have to deal with lice. I would rather 1 or 2 kids be sent home, treated correctly while missing a day or two of school verses 10, 20, 30 kids getting it and those 10,20,30 parents/caregivers spending tons of money and time to try and get rid of it only to go back to school and catch it again. Your comment of "even if it means a few more itchy heads" really upsets me and it's people like you why this continues to be a problem. Your child will not suffer missing 1-2 days of school. If having them home is an inconvenience for you, then you shouldn't have kids!

Selsa of VT 8:07PM September 16, 2012

ONE MORE THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD IS THAT IT WASN'T NITS BUT EGGS WHAT I FOUND ON MY DAUGHTER AND THAT ONE LOUSE CAUSE NITS IS ANOTHER STAGE AFTER THE EGGS! SORRY ABOUT THAT!!

EL of NE 12:19AM February 03, 2012

ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO MY OLDER DAUGHTER NOW 9 HAD GOT 1 LOUSE FROM SCHOOL AND SUM NITS. I HAD CHANCE TO CATCH THE PROBLEM RIGHT AWAY! I USED TO CHECK MY 2 GIRLS ONCE A WEEK BUT SINCE THAT DAY I STARTED DOING IT MON,WED AND FRIDAYS OR ANY DAYS I NOTICED ANY ITCHING AND OR EVERY TIME I STYLED THEIR HAIR.ONE THING I WOULD NEVER FORGET THAT MY DAUGHTER ALMOST DIED FROM A SEVERE-SEVERE REACTION TO THE NIX MED!!! THAT NOT ONLY SCARED HER BUT IT ALSO FREAKED ME OUT!!! TODAY MY LITTLE ONE THAT IS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD CAME HOME MONDAY WITH NITS..NO LICE BUT NITS...SO I TREATED HER WITH CETAPHIL CAUSE THAT IS ONE THING THAT HAD WORK FOR HER SISTER.WELL TUESDAY AFTER I CLEANED HER UP WASHED BEDDING ALL OF OUR BEDDING,VACUUMED CLEANED BRUSHES HAIR STUFF STUFF ANIMALS AND ETC...SHE COMES HOME AND I FIND ONE HEAD LOUSE HANGING FROM HER HEAD AND MORE NITS WHEN I LET THE SCHOOL KNOW ABOUT IT AGAIN THEY TELL HOW COULD THAT BE POSSIBLE WHEN SHE GOT HER OWN LOCKER DO TO HER ALLERGIES AND HER ECZEMA?! THEN THEY SAY NURSE WOULD CHECK KIDS AT CLASSROOM BUT THEY STILL CANT SEND A STUDENT HOME DO THIS NEW POLICY! AND I THINK NURSES DO A VERY QUICK JOB OF CHECKING AND IS NOT GOOD AT ALL!! WEDNESDAY I HAD TO TAKE MY DAUGHTER TO HER DR DO TO BITES FROM THAT LOUSE WHICH DR EVEN SAID SHE WAS ALL CLEAN BUT JUST KEEP DOING WHAT U DOING AND ASK ME IF WE EVER TRIED THE NIX ON THIS DAUGHTER?! I TOLD HIM HAL NO I AM USING ANY OF THESE TOXIC STUFF AFTER THE LAST EXPERIENCE!!! ITS ALL ABOUT MONEY TO THESE DOCS!!!!TODAY IS THURSDAY AND I HAVE WASHED MORE THAN 30 LOADS SINCE MONDAY AND I CHECKED MY DAUGHTER AGAIN...WELL TO COME TO THE CONCLUSION OF THE STORY SHE STARTED HAVING WELTS REDNESS AND ALLERGIC REACTION TO HER NECK THROAT EARS ETC AND HAD TO TAKE HER TO AN EMERGENCY ROOM...DR.SAID THAT SHE WAS PROBABLY ALLERGIC TO EITHER TO LICE OR THE BITES...BUT THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW FOR SURE!!I FEEL VERY BAD FOR THESE KIDS AND PARENTS THAT ARE GOING THRU THAT AND ALSO FOR THE TEACHERS AND SCHOOL STUFF AND THE REST OF THE FAMILIES!! PROBLEM IS THAT PARENTS NEED TO BE MORE EDUCATED ABOUT THIS AND ALSO SCHOOLS AND THE DOCTORS NEED TO SHOW MORE INTEREST ABOUT EDUCATING PARENTS!! SAME WAY THE DO ABOUT THE FLU OR CHICKENPOX AND ETC!DOCTORS ARE SAYING THAT LICE IS NOT HARMFUL BUT SHAME ON THEM!! THEY ARE NOT ALWAYS RIGHT!!! WHY AS PARENTS WHO DO CARE OR DON'T WANT TO LIVE WITH BUGS ON US HAVE TO SUFFER CAUSE SOME PEOPLE DON'T CARE,DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET RID OF THEM AND ETC?!..AND WHY SHOULD THEY THAT IS WHAT THEY THINK IF THEIR KIDS ARE ALLOWED TO RETURN TO SCHOOL WITH THEM??!! I AM ALMOST IN TEARS MOSTLY FOR MY KIDS AND I CAN'T DO ANYMORE LAUNDRY!BUT I WON'T STOP UNTIL I KNOW MY DAUGHTER IS FREE FROM NITS OR LICE!! SO PARENTS DON'T BE IGNORANT OR ASHAMED IF YOUR CHILD GETS IT,JUST LET THE SCHOOL KNOW AND BE ON TOP OF IT BEFORE IT BECOMES AN INFESTATION! IT IS AWFUL AND RIDICULOUS THOUGH WE LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES!!I WISH THERE COULD BE A WAY THAT PARENTS,TEACHERS ETC COULD PETITION ABOUT CHANGING POLICY

EL of NE 11:29PM February 02, 2012