Makes Me Sad...

[cooties_are_real]

... to see a 16 year old with a wig on due to lice.

I just want to cry. Friday I sent a Little Darling home with the 2nd worst cast of an infestation of lice I have ever seen. She had attempted to treat her hair herself so she would not stress mom out. States she got treatment medication for lice from a friend and treated her hair herself. She also had colored her hair the night before to try to kill what the medication did not kill. There was dead lice all over her head. She even had live ones. Some strands had 4-5 eggs on them. I helped her the best I could waiting on mom. Mom was not aware and I told her what the student told me. Mom came picked her up and was told she would need to be with her when she came back to school on Monday.

She walks in today and my first thought was "Great! They did get them all out and recolored her hair." Then it dawned on me she was wearing a WIG!!! They "Shaved" her hair off. She had long hair, too.

I usually try to hide my emotions, but today I was not able to. She asked me if I was going to cry. It didn't help when she looked like she was about to cry. Her mom was here and said that was the only thing they could do to treat. LD said she posted to social media that she went to get her hair cut in neighboring town an they messed it up to try to explain why she was wearing a wig.

Gave student a pep talk to try to help her cope, but she is one of my quiet LD's and on the fringe. Her good friend was to be with her today to help her, but the friend is testing and since she was late and would walk into a class that already started she opted to go back home and come in normal time tomorrow. I am worried about her being bullied and made fun of. I have notified the counselor and Admin.

[OyWithThePoodles, RN]

Oh that happened to a first grader of mine, she was the CUTEST little girl, but had HORRIBLE lice, they couldn't seem to get rid of it, so they shaved her head. But didn't get her a wig. She was still an adorable child, but bald...so sad. I told the parents they didnt have to do that, but they insisted.

I had a kiddo with persistent lice. Staff had told me that the previous year dad had shaved her cute little head and she was beyond bullied for it. So when the dad picked her up and said he was shaving her head, I said "That is NOT a solution, do NOT shave her head!" Did I overstep, yes. He's dad, he can do whatever he wants. Would I do it again? Absolutely.

[amoLucia]

One of the saddest stories I've ever come across. I've seen sad stories that rip your gut in LTC.

But this one for kiddos I teared up.

[Txschoolrn]

So sad I had a kid come in with a shaved head and wearing jeans and a white shirt. When asked what happened, he said said that he lied about something to his dad, so dad made his shave his head and dad would be the only one who could pick out his clothes. Just sad. I understand punishment is warranted, but not smashing a kids spirit and esteem to nothing. I reported it as well.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

So sad I had a kid come in with a shaved head and wearing jeans and a white shirt. When asked what happened, he said said that he lied about something to his dad, so dad made his shave his head and dad would be the only one who could pick out his clothes. Just sad. I understand punishment is warranted, but not smashing a kids spirit and esteem to nothing. I reported it as well.

Ugh...

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Never let them see you cry. Instead of crying, you should have reported directly to Child Protective Services.

[bsyrn, ASN, RN]

That makes me angry...no child should have to deal with that.

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

In my humble opinion the whole lice thing would be solved if schools adopted a more sensible approach to treatment and eradication of lice. Not every parent is equipped with the patience required to meticulously comb and nit pick until the scalp is cleared. Heck I work in adolescent psych and I have staff that are paid to do it and can't get it right. The CDC position on head lice is that they are normal human flora and in many cases are resistant to the chemicals used to kill them. The only thing I have seen really work is combing the scalp with olive oil which we are currently forbidden to do as it is not Evidence Based Practice. (We do it anyway LOL)

As for the whole head shaving thing - I can see where some parents may believe this is the only solution. Certainly short hair is easier to keep clean and comb out nits but to shave a kids head is really sad. We have a lot of people in our local community from India and I have seen a fair amount if head shaving as a form of discipline. We always report it but it usually gets determined as over aggressive parenting and education classes for the parents.

Hppy

[OyWithThePoodles, RN]

In my humble opinion the whole lice thing would be solved if schools adopted a more sensible approach to treatment and eradication of lice. Not every parent is equipped with the patience required to meticulously comb and nit pick until the scalp is cleared. Heck I work in adolescent psych and I have staff that are paid to do it and can't get it right. The CDC position on head lice is that they are normal human flora and in many cases are resistant to the chemicals used to kill them. The only thing I have seen really work is combing the scalp with olive oil which we are currently forbidden to do as it is not Evidence Based Practice. (We do it anyway LOL)

As for the whole head shaving thing - I can see where some parents may believe this is the only solution. Certainly short hair is easier to keep clean and comb out nits but to shave a kids head is really sad. We have a lot of people in our local community from India and I have seen a fair amount if head shaving as a form of discipline. We always report it but it usually gets determined as over aggressive parenting and education classes for the parents.

Hppy

Respectfully, I disagree. Schools are underfunded and nurses are underpaid and understaffed in schools. The likelihood of lice being transmitted in the school setting is very slim, therefore, this is a home issue. And the issue will NOT be solved unless it is taken care of at home, not just treating the child, but linens, etc. I get that it takes a lot of patience to nit-pick. But for crying out loud, THEY are the parent. It is their job to care for their child. Unfortunately not all parents will, and we step in when we need to, but asking the schools to treat the children for lice...Not feasible. It's just adding to the entitlement that parents have in thinking that it is our job to parent their child.

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

Respectfully, I disagree. Schools are underfunded and nurses are underpaid and understaffed in schools. The likelihood of lice being transmitted in the school setting is very slim, therefore, this is a home issue. And the issue will NOT be solved unless it is taken care of at home, not just treating the child, but linens, etc. I get that it takes a lot of patience to nit-pick. But for crying out loud, THEY are the parent. It is their job to care for their child. Unfortunately not all parents will, and we step in when we need to, but asking the schools to treat the children for lice...Not feasible. It's just adding to the entitlement that parents have in thinking that it is our job to parent their child.

You misunderstood me - I did not say that the parent should not be responsible for taking care of the problem. I simply stated that parents need more education and support in how to do this. I encounter many Hispanic parents who are illiterate and don't understand the instructions nor do they have the financial resources to treat these kids multiple times. We do the best we can to get the problem solved while they are in patient. I gave a parent and instruction sheet on how to treat their home while their child was inpatient and the kid came back again with the same problem. Then I sat with that parent and a translator and gave step by step verbal instruction even showing them how to part and comb the hair and this time the situation improved. There is whole cottage industry that has evolved around the eradication and treatment of head lice see Lice Treatment Centers of America, but their services can cost hundred of dollars and for a poor family just struggling to make ends meet this is not always possible. Head lice do no pose a significant public health risk and children should not be ostracized for having them. Calling the parent in to demonstrate proper combing would go along way. I spent 55 minutes last Saturday combing nits out of a girls hair. I did after a staff member went in for ten minutes and came out and said the head was clear. This is not as easy as it seems.

Hppy

[tining, BSN, RN]

We had a Family Health Fair last week and I chose to do a lice presentation. I had 2 posters of information, and a model for a live comb out demonstration. Coupons for treatment. Several types of combs. State Laws, Health Dept info, and school district policy.

The parents did not want the information.

The parents did not want the information.

The parents did not want the information.

The parents did not want the information.

The other vendors were very interested and I did my presentation for them.

I will continue to send my detailed info home for the student and now by state law notify the class. I was really surprised by the lack of interest especially since some of these kids have had repeat cases.

[Viviana, ASN, RN]

My oldest daughter, who is in nursing school now, was one of these children. She caught head lice repeatedly, but her younger sister never caught it, though they slept in the same bed. It was incredibly expensive to keep treating her and the house, washing everything at the laundromat again and again. I cut her hair in a bob, hoping that would help, but it didn't.

I began treating my children for head lice with Nix on the day before school started. I did this because of the residual effect of the Nix and this is what worked. Later when I graduated from nursing school and worked in public health, I learned to use an oil based hair dressing or spray, and this worked well for my patients. I have no idea why.

[cooties_are_real]

LD was back yesterday. The counselor told me she called student's class and asked the teacher about student. She gave teacher an abbreviated "LD head was shaved and she wanted to know if teacher was seeing any bullying)" Teacher look at student and said he/she did not notice student was wearing a wig. Hopefully this will continue until the break and her hair will grow out some so they can do something cute with it.