How common is lice outbreak in preschool?

[Anonymous]

I find all the lice threads so interesting. My DD is only 2 but is in daycare and I haven't gotten any notices. I also never had lice as a kid and neither did DH. I do remember a school nurse checking my hair once or twice though, so presumably someone else had it. I do think cleanliness likely plays a role to some degree - i.e., washing dress up clothes, hats, blankets, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find all the lice threads so interesting. My DD is only 2 but is in daycare and I haven't gotten any notices. I also never had lice as a kid and neither did DH. I do remember a school nurse checking my hair once or twice though, so presumably someone else had it. I do think cleanliness likely plays a role to some degree - i.e., washing dress up clothes, hats, blankets, etc.

Thank you, this is OP. I know that lice can happen anywhere, in all socio-economic environments, so I was not trying to imply that it cannot happen, let's say, in an expensive private preschool. Because this is exactly where it happened and it just made me think whether they take enough precaution not to have lice outbreaks happen too often, for too long periods of time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find all the lice threads so interesting. My DD is only 2 but is in daycare and I haven't gotten any notices. I also never had lice as a kid and neither did DH. I do remember a school nurse checking my hair once or twice though, so presumably someone else had it. I do think cleanliness likely plays a role to some degree - i.e., washing dress up clothes, hats, blankets, etc.

Thank you, this is OP. I know that lice can happen anywhere, in all socio-economic environments, so I was not trying to imply that it cannot happen, let's say, in an expensive private preschool. Because this is exactly where it happened and it just made me think whether they take enough precaution not to have lice outbreaks happen too often, for too long periods of time.

You'd both be wrong. Lice only spreads from one child's head to another. They do not linger on clothes or hats,mod at least healthy ones don't. Lice is a head infestation, not an environmental one.

[Anonymous]

I'm a preschool teacher. We have NO hats in the dress up area, as much as kids absolutely love hats and they really make dress up much more fun. It's just not worth the risk.

[Anonymous]

The CDC says "Lice spread by contact with clothing (such as hats, scarves, coats) or other personal items (such as combs, brushes, or towels) used by an infested person is uncommon."

http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/gen_info/faqs.html

[Anonymous]

Sorry-- but for girls, it seems like a never- ending battle from about ages 4-8. Especially in winter, when kids wearhats, hang coats close together on pegs, etc. Oneyear, DD got it 4 times. We combed and shampooed, and asked the school nurse to check her and certify her as good, and 2 weeks later, she had it again. I suspect the girls in her class were just passing it around. Child A was treated, snd then caught it again from Child B, whose parents genuinely didn't know. By the time Child B was lice-free, Child A had nits and passed them back. Ugghh!!! Nothing worse!!

FWIW--very wealthy, "clean" school. And DS, with his very short haircut nevercaughtkice once. In our case, it was a girl thing. GL and SO sorry if you are dealing with this. My head itches just writing this...

[Anonymous]

We had an outbreak last year but not sure how bad it was. We just got a notice. I got a lice comb just to have and during the school year we use the fairy tale shampoo, conditioner and gel. Even if it does not work for lice they are good products.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find all the lice threads so interesting. My DD is only 2 but is in daycare and I haven't gotten any notices. I also never had lice as a kid and neither did DH. I do remember a school nurse checking my hair once or twice though, so presumably someone else had it. I do think cleanliness likely plays a role to some degree - i.e., washing dress up clothes, hats, blankets, etc.

Thank you, this is OP. I know that lice can happen anywhere, in all socio-economic environments, so I was not trying to imply that it cannot happen, let's say, in an expensive private preschool. Because this is exactly where it happened and it just made me think whether they take enough precaution not to have lice outbreaks happen too often, for too long periods of time.

You'd both be wrong. Lice only spreads from one child's head to another. They do not linger on clothes or hats,mod at least healthy ones don't. Lice is a head infestation, not an environmental one.

Not sure if this is true since the one time I got lice as a child it was from trying on hats at a store.

[Anonymous]

I taught preschool for more than a decade, and I don't believe there was ever a year that at least one class didn't have a student with lice. This happens in all schools! Often, the preschooler caught the lice from a elementary school age sibling. Only one time did the lice get passed along to another student in the class, and that was because the little girls were always hugging and sitting close to each other.