WHEN YOUR CHILD IS ILL:

With illness and germs all around us, please be sure to follow basic guidelines before having your child return to school:  

~ fever-free ( without medication ) for 24 hours  

~ antibiotics taken for 24 hours  

~ illness free for 24 hours (no vomitting, no diarrhea)  

~ no open sores  

~ no nasal discharge  

Report all contagious diseases to our school office.  Encourage and model good hygiene.  Proper and frequent hand washing is a great way to protect from germs.

HOW TO TREAT LICE:

HOW YOU GET IT : Head lice are usually transmitted through close personal contact with another infested individual through sharing combs, brushes and other grooming aids; through sharing hats, caps, wigs or coats or through the grouping of these items at the homes of friends, at school, day care centers or other public places.  Most parents have the impression that only persons who are unclean become infested with lice.  In the case of head lice, this is NOT true.  

WHAT TO LOOK FOR : Head lice are elongated insects about this (--) long and are grayish white with dark margins.  Lice do not have wings and therefore cannot fly.  Although they do NOT jump, they do move very quickly and this makes them difficult to find in a child's hair.  

Since crawling forms are difficult to find, head louse infestation is frequently diagnosed by finding nits.  A nit is a louse egg.  Nits are teardrop shaped, about this size (') and vary from yellowish brown to white.  Head lice attach each nit to a hair shaft with a waterproof, cement-like substance.  Thus, nits cannot be washed out or brushed out of the hair like dandruff or other debris that may look like nits to the naked eye.  Clusters of nits may be found in any section of hair, but in light infestations, a careful examination of the entire scalp may be necessary to detect them.

It is necessary to treat the infested individual and personal articles; such as caps, combs, brushes, towels, and bedding.  Fumigating or using insecticides in the home, school and school buses is not recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service.

HOW TO TREAT IT : With an approved medicated product such as Nix Creme Rinse.

Note:

-Do not use Nix on children under 2 months of age.

-Do not use Nix on premature babies, or on persons with known sensitivity to the product.

-Avoid use on open cuts and sores.

-Nursing mothers may use alternative feeding for 2 days following the use of Nix.  A pregnant woman should not use Nix more than twice during the pregnancy.  It is recommended that a pregnant woman wear gloves when applying Nix for treatment of head lice.  (When possible have pregnant women consult with an obstetrician before using Nix.)

DIRECTIONS FOR USE OF NIX CREME RINSE :

The following should be done over the sink only - not in tub or shower :

1.  Shampoo hair with your everyday shampoo.

2.  Rinse and towel dry hair.

3.  Apply enough Nix to saturate the hair and scalp

4.  Leave on the hair for 10 minutes.

5.  Rinse thoroughly with water.

6.  Towel dry hair.

7.  Remove nits.  We recommend the purchase of a metal nit comb available for purchase at your pharmacy (approximately $5-6).  This is the most important step.

DECONTAMINATION OF PERSONAL ARTICLES AND ENVIRONMENT IS NECESSARY TO INSURE THAT LICE ARE ELIMINATED FROM THE HOUSE : Since heat kills lice and their eggs, many personal articles can be disinfected by machine washing in hot water for 5 minutes at 125 degree F.  Allow time between loads of laundry or baths for the water heater to regain its maximum water temperature.  If you depend on the clothes dryer for dis-infestation, dry articles for at least 20 minutes at the high heat setting.  Some non-washable articles may be disinfected in the dryer if the heat will not harm them.

1. When anyone in the household is identified as having head lice, the entire household should be   treated.

2. Machine wash all washable clothing and bed linens that have been in contact with the infested person in the previous 2 days.

3. Personal articles of clothing or bedding that cannot be washed or dried may be dry cleaned or simply placed in a plastic bag and sealed for 10 days.

4. Small articles may be put in the freezer for 24 hours or when weather permits, kept outside in bags for 24 hours when temperatures are below freezing.

5. Combs, brushes, and similar items can be disinfected by soaking them for 1 hour in hot soapy water or by soaking them for 5-10 minutes in a pan of water heated on the stove to about 150 degree F. (Caution: Heat may damage some combs and brushes).

6. Because lice can live only a short time if they fall off the head, the U.S. Public Health Service recommends that you limit cleaning the carpets, upholstered furniture etc., to simple vacuuming. Using insecticides or fumigants on upholstered furniture, carpets, bedding, etc., is not necessary.

NOTIFICATION OF OTHER PARENTS : Parents of your child's closest friend(s) should be notified that their child may also be infested.  This is particularly important if the children have slept together or participated in activities involving frequent body contact, such as wrestling.

*RETURNING TO SCHOOL : The Haslett School District procedure requires that all nits be removed BEFORE children can return to school.  The parent must accompany the child on return to school.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to call the Ralya office at (517) 339-8202.