Lice in School: Let them Stay

I have recently been talking to parents that come in to the clinic and they all have an opinion on whether schools should allow children to come in with lice or not. Although our quick response may be “of course not,” the answer is rather complicated.
The state of California allows for schools to decide if they want to have a “nit free policy” or not. That means, any child with a nit must be sent home and will not resume his/her studies until being nit (lice egg) free. But other schools only send a circular home and allow children in the classroom with lice so that they do not miss any school time. As we all can all, both options have their pros and cons.
It is important to mention that even though most popular belief is that lice origin at school, the reality is that head lice is a community problem brought to the schools and not the other way around.
At LCA San Diego we believe the best is to educate our community on head lice so that we minimize the stigma and we can be alert in preventing and minimizing cross infestations. Education is key to help children to be treated right away and help them prevent from getting it again. Find out more at lcasandiego.com