Resume the schedules and that the child goes back to sleep on time, return to the routine, to extracurricular activities and, of course, back to school. September arrives and the summer vacations of the whole family are behind us. It is time for the children to return to the classroom and start a new school year. And, also, it is the time most feared by moms and dads: nits and lice return.
The proliferation of lice and nits is more frequent in September due to the reunion of children in schools and nurseries. In addition, this new course is the first after COVID-19 in which there will be no bubble groups, a measure that, since 2020, had rebound limited the spread of this insect in classrooms.
Lice are insects that adhere to the hair, feeding on blood from the scalp. They do not measure more than 3 millimeters and, at most, they live for a month. They are spread by direct contact with the hair and are more frequent in children due to their willingness to share their belongings: headbands, hair ties, caps, etc.
When found on the scalp, lice lay eggs called nits. Lice nits can take up to 9 days to give birth to another lice. The child does not begin to notice their presence until after a few days, which facilitates the reproduction and spread of lice.
The Ministry of Health through the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) recommends a series of prevention measures so that there is a return to school without lice.
The AEMPS places special emphasis on the faster reproduction of lice due to new customs. Habits such as taking selfies have increased cases among adolescents and children. When children come together to take photos, their hair comes into contact and the possibility of spreading lice.
The most common symptom of head lice is an itchy head. “These infestations are known as pediculosis and they cause a lot of itching and irritation of the scalp, being very annoying and recurring. Head scratching can be so intense that it often causes erosive lesions in the infested area,” says AEMPS. Suspecting that the child may have lice, it is advisable to ask the specialist doctor to evaluate a specific treatment.
