The first time a child comes home from play group, childcare, or school with head lice, many parents feel mortified. While some adults believe head lice results from poor hygiene and should not occur in a regularly bathed child, the experienced child caregiver or parent knows that this is not true. Head lice can be acquired whenever people come together.
Head lice are parasites that are about the size of a sesame seed.
The lice thrive on blood taken mostly from the nape of the neck, the scalp, and behind the ears. Although the lice themselves generally do not cause severe problems, the itching and scratching can cause skin irritation such as eczema and impetigo. Even though lice cannot fly, hop, or jump, they can easily crawl from head to head when children are in close contact. They also can crawl from one coat or hat to another if clothing touches on a rack. In addition, head lice can be transmitted by sharing combs, brushes, head sets, hats, and scarfs.