Newsy: Head Lice: Stay-In-School?

A new study suggests by the time lice is found in the hair, it’s already too late, and students shouldn't be sent home from school.

“Seriously? A new study suggests that kids with head lice don’t need to stay home from school. Moms and Dads out there… are you okay with that?”(MSNBC)

It's a story that's going to make your skin crawl. The creepy, little critters called head lice are making headlines, and not just in your home, but at school. 

CNN suggests that by the time the bug is seen on the scalp, it’s too late to send the child home from school: “It makes no medical sense to send somebody home [from school] if you find lice, because by the time you see something the child has had the infestation for several weeks.”

A Babble blog explains exactly why The American Academy of Pediatrics opposes “no-nit” policies that require a child be sent home from school: “There is no medical reason to take kids out of school because head lice is not as contagious as the schools make it seem. By the time they are discovered at school, most lice is past the contagious point.”

...but there’s one more reason to be concerned about the parasites. The Wall Street Journal reports those strawberry seed-sized menaces are becoming super bugs: “… common treatments for killing head lice, including prescription medications… may no longer be effective because the pests in some areas have built up resistance… families that succeed in treating the condition with popular products such as Rid and Nix may have to apply the pesticidal creams as many as three times to get rid of the pests.”

So what do you think? Should children be sent home if they have head lice? Is there really a "super bug" lice pandemic? You tell us.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.