Head Lice: Everything You Need to Know

Head lice have low contagion in classrooms, and infected children should not be restricted from school attendance.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has released a revised clinical report on the management of head lice. It contains a great deal of practical information, including the following highlights:

Background Information

Lice are common in children aged 3 to 12 years (estimates range from 6 to 12 million cases per year in the U.S.).
Empty egg casings or nits are easier to see than viable eggs on darker hair because they are whiter.
Itching may not develop for 4 to 6 weeks after eggs hatch.
“Lice cannot hop or fly; they crawl.”

Diagnosis

Use of a louse comb facilitates detection of head lice.
Children should not be sent home from school on the day of diagnosis because they have likely been infected for >1 month and pose little risk to others.
Childr…

Reviewing Author

Howard Bauchner, MD

Disclosures

Grant / research supportHuman Resources and Services Administration; NIH; NIH-NHLBI; USDA; GlaxoSmithKline

Editorial boardsArchives of Disease in Childhood (Editor-in-Chief)

Howard Bauchner, MD

Disclosures

Grant / research supportHuman Resources and Services Administration; NIH; NIH-NHLBI; USDA; GlaxoSmithKline

Editorial boardsArchives of Disease in Childhood (Editor-in-Chief)