Parents reminded to report lice

Instead of going into a panic, parents should be aware of how lice are spread — through sharing combs, hats, helmets, among other things — and how to treat them, Palm said. Informing the school about a case of lice helps stop the spread of it, she added.

Although Palm said the Falls schools do not currently have a surge in lice cases this spring, she added that about a month ago, she saw a few more cases than usual.

“I see more of it in the winter, actually, ” Palm said. “But they can be spread as much in the winter as they do in the spring.”

In other school districts Palm has worked at, she said, she’s never seen a surge of lice cases in the spring. Schools across the nation with more cases of lice in the spring typically have a week long spring break, Palm said, which the Falls does not have.

“I think it’s a case of the way people gather (during spring break),” Palm said. “You’re seeing people from other places or taking (lice) to other places — it’s the mode of it being spread with more travel.”

Parents are encouraged to report cases of lice, even if they have already treated the case at home. Worrying about a lice infestation or worrying that a child has lice even though it is not evident after inspecting their head is not effective, Palm said.

“They’re not magical,” she said of lice. “They’re not going to appear out of nowhere.”

Lice do not jump or fly — they have to be close to a shaft of hair to move — and are spread most commonly by head-to-head contact, she said.

“The way kids play is different than adults, that’s why it doesn’t spread from kid to adult very often,” Palm said. “But I encourage people to do something about it instead of panicking. Spend time inspecting heads instead of calling the school and asking who your kid is sitting next to.”

The district routinely sends letters to parents of children in a classroom with at least two cases of lice, asking them to check their child’s head for lice or eggs once a week.

“If you inspect a head and you don’t find anything — there’s nothing there, because lice are not invisible or magical,” Palm explained. “People also panic about head lice when they see a tiny little lose thing on their child’s head.”

Lice are brownish insects about the size of a sesame seed attached to hair shafts close to or on the scalp. Eggs are small cream-colored pieces firmly attached to individual hair shafts, not loose and flaky like dandruff. Even if only eggs are found, treatment is still necessary.

Treatment includes using a lice product or shampoo, washing bedding and clothing in contact with the child, vacuuming the floor and parts of the couch where heads rest, and continuing to pick any nits (lice eggs) seen in the days after treatment.

“Just keep picking,” Palm said. “People get frustrated if they’ve treated and still find them. Sometimes it’s a matter of parting the hair into smaller spots to get them all, looking closer to the scalp, using magnifying glasses, or using better light.”

Although it’s been two to three weeks since Palm has seen a case of lice in a student, she said, the stigma about lice remains.

“I’m not sure what is imagined, but lice just want a warm head,” Palm said. “They don’t care whose head it is — it has nothing to do with your income or how clean your house is.”