What Is A Louse: What You Need To Know

A hematophagous parasite, that is to say, which feeds on our blood. The hair louse differs from the body louse (like the crab lice, for example). It does not transmit any disease, but it can cause intense itching. It does not survive more than 2 to 3 days when it is no longer on ahead.

That’s it; the lice have invaded the children’s hair. Whether it’s the first time you’ve come face to face with these critters or the scenario repeats every year, find out what you might not know about these puzzling specialists.

What Are The Symptoms Of Pediculosis In Toddlers?

Early childhood professionals such as Lice Treatment san-antonio for example need to spot the unmistakable signs and thus avoid contamination of the entire community. In this regard, the most obvious symptom is scratching. The itching is due to an allergy in children to the louse’s saliva. So we often believe that children don’t have lice if they don’t scratch their heads. However, this is false. Itching may appear late, up to 2 months after contamination. In addition, some people are not allergic and will never scratch, even though they may have lice. Hence the importance of regularly checking the heads of toddlers!

To confirm pediculosis, it is then necessary to identify the presence of nits. Not to be confused with dandruff or cradle cap. Their distinctive sign: “the nits are laid no more than 2 centimeters from the scalp. Unlike dandruff, it does not fall off on its own. They’re eggs if you have to slide them down the hair to get them out.” The right gesture: check the entire head, insisting on the areas of the ears and the nape of the neck.

How To Definitively Eradicate Lice In Reception Structures?

A treated child is not necessarily a healthy child! Indeed, “lice treated by Lice Doctors for instance can lay eggs just before they die, meaning new nits can hatch 6 to 9 days later. Similarly, if the nits have not been properly eradicated, the lice will continue to appear in chronological order of laying and reproducing. Result: despite individual treatment, the child can continue contaminating those around him. Hence the importance not only of choosing the right product (see box below) but also of taking measures at the level of the crèche or daycare center. The leitmotif of the parasitologist: “collectively and systematically treat all the children concerned.

His advice: check or ask to check the head of ALL the children welcomed on Friday evening (whether they have declared the symptoms of pediculosis or not) using individual lice comb. Then, treat the child and the entourage during the weekend if lice have been spotted. Also, to be clear to parents: there is no point in treating children preventively!

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