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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffIt's difficult to prevent the spread of head lice among children in child care and school settings. There's so much close contact among children and their belongings that lice can spread easily. It's no reflection on your hygiene habits or those of your children, and it's not a failure on your part as a parent if your child gets head lice. The best approach is simply to take thorough steps to get rid of the lice — and their eggs — so that you don't have more lice to deal with.
Ask your child not to share personal belongings such as:
- Hats
- Scarves
- Coats
- Combs
- Brushes
- Hair decorations
- Headphones
However, it's not realistic to expect that you and your child can eliminate all the types of contact that may result in the spread of lice.
Your child may have nits in his or her hair but not necessarily develop a case of head lice. Some nits are empty eggs. However, nits that are found within 1/4 inch of the scalp should be treated — even if you find only one — to prevent the possibility of hatching. Nits that are farther away from the scalp are probably from an old infestation and don't need to be treated.
