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Head Lice Check

The dreaded note arrives home with your child, warning you about several cases of head lice at school. Here’s how to handle the pesky parasite outbreak
Head lice
The stigma surrounding lice is as wide spread as lice themselves and the gossip and speculation amongst parents as to who was responsible for the outbreak can be as irritating as the actual lice infestation.
 
The head louse is a parasite which lives on the human scalp, feeding on human blood. Lice have a lifespan of up to 40 days, during which each lays about 200 eggs (also called nits), attaching one egg per strand of hair with a very strong natural ‘glue’. Most of these hatch within seven to ten days. Given the average growth rate of hair, by the time the egg hatches it is located about 5mm from the scalp. Lice live so close to the scalp that they are often very difficult to see.
 
Outbreaks occur regularly. They are time consuming to deal with but in the end utterly harmless. Tell-tale signs are easy – severe itching of the scalp – your child will be scratching away like an old Labrador. You have a few options to choose from when it comes to nuking these mites. The natural and often preferred route is a special nit comb, like the Robi Comb, and plenty of time to comb the nits and eggs out. This is one time you may want to use the TV as a distraction while you remove the critters. However, sometimes the child’s hair does not make this a practical or easy option.
 
There are shampoos on the market but care must be taken as they are powerful potions, so read the instructions very carefully. Try a test patch to check for skin irritations before immersing the child’s head of hair.
 
A natural option you may want to consider trying is the Conscious Living product from Angelic Fragrances, which is a spray made with 100 percent natural essential oils.
 
 
Deworming
 
Another parasite parents need to be aware of is the intestinal worm. Downright disgusting you might find this, but it’s a common problem picked up most often from poor hygiene, pets and garden soil.
 
Encourage regular hand washing in order to minimise the risk of infection. There are different types of worms and therefore different symptoms, but a few tell-tale signs may include itchy bottoms or worms present in the actual faeces. Another way to look for eggs is to place some sticky tape on the skin near the anus first thing in the morning. Sadly there is no worm-resistance building that occurs in the body, thus necessitating a six-monthly de-worming. Don’t forget, worms are often a family affair, so treat the whole family.

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