Doctor
ASK THE
Our healthcare partners will be answering your questions. To submit a question,
please email [email protected].
You pick up your child from school and notice something
crawling on top of his or her head. The hairs on the
Should my child be taken out of school if he/
she has active lice?
back of your neck stand up, your heart starts beating
fast, and you feel slightly itchy. Meet lice. These wingless
parasites do not care who you are, what you do, and
contrary to popular myth, how dirty your head is.
Affected children may return to school once treatment
is initiated. However, it is a good idea to remind them
to avoid direct head contact with others, which is the
primary route of transmission.
If you don’t see active crawling lice but have suspicions,
examine the scalp closely with a bright light. Lice eggs What about swimming?
or nits show up as a light yellow colored sphere (careful Lice can survive for hours underwater but cling tightly
not to confuse with dandruff) attached at the base of to the hair they call home, so risk for transmission in
the hair in areas behind the ears or at the base of the pools is low. As for the rest of the household during
scalp. They will need to be removed to eliminate the an infestation, wash and dry clothing and linens in hot
presence of these creepy crawlers. water and high heat. Don’t forget to vacuum furniture
and carpeting.
10 | F L A G L E R parent M A G A Z I N E