
Tips for Common Childhood Illnesses 2 Head Louse Head louse is about 2-4 mm long. They live on the human scalp and feed on blood. An egg normally undergoes a week before hatching as a baby nymph, and then matures. One female louse lays 5-8 eggs a day. Their lifespan is about one month. Symptoms ・Iitching of the scalp, caused when the louse bites through the skin to feed on blood. ・Excessive scratching may cause skin infection. Diagnose ・Louses are not easy to notice but their eggs can be found at the roots of hairs. ・Eggs are easy to notice at the roots of hairs. They look like tiny white beads and cling to hair shaft. （Notice: the difference between louse and hair cast is that hair cast is easy to be moved.） Treatment ・Shaving off all the hairs is an effective solution but it is not easy to be accepted. ・Remove the individual hairs with attached eggs from the root of the hair. ・It is effective to comb the hairs with a fine-toothed comb (bug busting). ・Phenothrin powder or shampoo can be efficient if used properly (it is only effective to nymph and matures but not eggs). Prevention ・Don’t leave your child alone to wash hairs. Parents should give a help during shampoo. ・Don’t share quilts, pillows, hats (caps), towels, comb and hair accessories with others. ・Shampoo once a day and dry hairs with a hair drier. ・Short hair is recommended. ・Items touched the hairs daily can be soaked in hot water (over 50 degree) for 10 minutes before washing. It is also effective to iron the items or heat them in a cloth dryer. ・Air the quilts in the warm sunshine or heat them with a quilt dryer. Precautions Exterminating of louse must be simultaneously performed both at home and the group living places. Having louse is not equal to uncleanness. The correct knowledge about louse may be useful to avoid teasing or bullying problems.

Tips for Common Childhood Illnesses 2

Head Louse

Head louse is about 2-4 mm long. They live on the human scalp and feed on blood. An egg normally undergoes a week before hatching as a baby nymph, and then matures. One female louse lays 5-8 eggs a day. Their lifespan is about one month.

Symptoms

・Iitching of the scalp, caused when the louse bites through the skin to feed on blood.
・Excessive scratching may cause skin infection.

Diagnose

・Louses are not easy to notice but their eggs can be found at the roots of hairs.
・Eggs are easy to notice at the roots of hairs. They look like tiny white beads and cling to hair shaft.
（Notice: the difference between louse and hair cast is that hair cast is easy to be moved.）

Treatment

・Shaving off all the hairs is an effective solution but it is not easy to be accepted.
・Remove the individual hairs with attached eggs from the root of the hair.
・It is effective to comb the hairs with a fine-toothed comb (bug busting).
・Phenothrin powder or shampoo can be efficient if used properly
(it is only effective to nymph and matures but not eggs).

Prevention

・Don’t leave your child alone to wash hairs. Parents should give a help during shampoo.
・Don’t share quilts, pillows, hats (caps), towels, comb and hair accessories with others.
・Shampoo once a day and dry hairs with a hair drier.
・Short hair is recommended.
・Items touched the hairs daily can be soaked in hot water (over 50 degree) for 10 minutes before washing.
It is also effective to iron the items or heat them in a cloth dryer.
・Air the quilts in the warm sunshine or heat them with a quilt dryer.

Precautions

Exterminating of louse must be simultaneously performed both at home and the group living places. Having louse is not equal to uncleanness. The correct knowledge about louse may be useful to avoid teasing or bullying problems.