Head lice problem continues

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, November 3, 1999

Cases of lice will likely increase in the school district, as &uot;we’re getting into the peak time,&uot; said Carol Bosma, the Albert Lea School District’s nurse.

Wednesday, November 03, 1999

Cases of lice will likely increase in the school district, as &uot;we’re getting into the peak time,&uot; said Carol Bosma, the Albert Lea School District’s nurse.

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Bosma explained that the colder weather means hat season. If hats are not stored properly, those with lice can spread it to others.

&uot;I recommend that kids keep their caps in their coat sleeves. And I also tell them to put their coats in their backpacks,&uot; Bosma said.

She hopes a new system to address the problem will help eliminate the parasite from the district.

The school district has developed and recently modified its policy regarding head lice. A campaign to notify parents has also been a focal point of the district’s lice committee.

&uot;We do have a procedure that we follow,&uot; Bosma said.

The parent of a child infected with head lice is contacted while the school nurse checks siblings of the affected child.

An addition to the policy this year has the parents document and submit to the school the treatment method used to eradicate the live lice and the nits, which are eggs attached to the hair.

Upon return to school, the child is checked by the school nurse for live lice, and is rechecked seven to 14 days later.

&uot;We really encourage the parents to remove the eggs too, but it isn’t easy,&uot; Bosma said.

Bosma thinks the brochures that are given to parents are helpful. They offer tips on preventing and treating head lice.

&uot;We have them at every pharmacy, day care and preschool,&uot; she said. Brochures were also sent home with each of the students.

Parents are also notified when a case is reported within their child’s class.

&uot;We recommend that parents are checking their kids regularly, probably weekly,&uot; Bosma said. When parents are notified of lice cases in their child’s class, children should be checked every couple of days, she added.

Preventing head lice can save parents time and money.

&uot;It’s very frustrating and time consuming,&uot; Bosma said.

Once a case is identified, everything in the house must be cleaned in order to kill any live lice. Also, removing nits and killing live lice on a child’s head is not always easy.

And next to the common cold, lice will affect more children than any other communicable disease.

For more information, the public can contact Freeborn County Public Health at 377-5100 or the Albert Lea school nurses. Carol Bosma can be reached at 379-4828 and Ann Cavanaugh at 379-4827.