Thursday, March 27, 2008

Head Lice and the No Nit School Policy

There are many public schools that have very strict “no nit” policies when it comes to dealing with head lice. Though it may seem extremely unfair that your child is sent home a second time, even after you have treated them for head lice, the policy is aimed an eliminated the spreading of lice to other children.Many school officials, including school nurses may lack the expertise necessary to determine if nits are active or inactive, therefore if they spot nits in a child’s hair they send them home until all the nits have been removed. This is why it is so important that parents use meticulous care during the nit removal phase after head lice treatment.There is some controversy over the “no nit policy” implemented at schools. Excluding children based on nits in the hair that may not even be a live infestation can actually have lasting emotional problems for that child. On the other hand, it is reassuring for the parents of other children, that a child that is infested with head lice won’t be allowed back in school to spread it to others. Despite the fact that there is some opposition to the “no nit school policies” there are some advantages to it.For communities to actively control head lice infestations, there has to be a universal protocol when dealing with it. This is one way to help prevent head lice from becoming epidemic in school or daycare settings. With the “no nit “ head lice policies, those who are responsible for checking to ensure a child is free from head lice will not have to guess if the nits represent a new infestation, they simply don’t allow the child back in schoolThough it is true that a child who is isolated due to a head lice infestation may have some emotional problems due to the isolation, the problems that may be posed because of ridicule by classmates and friends could be much worse.All this is not to mention that most healthcare specialists believe that the number one cause of a re-infestation is failure to remove nits from the hair. Nit removal is very inconvenient, but necessary. Not only does combing the hair with a nit removal comb ensure that head lice and their eggs are removed, failure to do this can result in having to repeat the treatment several times, multiplying the inconvenience of treating head lice.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Best Gifts For A Baby

You are a new parent and you want to make sure you buy the absolute best for your baby. There are many options out there, so what do you pick that will not only help your child grow, but help them have fun too?The first type of gift you want to get for your baby is anything that causes intellectual stimulation. These are gifts which get the small mind of a baby working in overdrive, helping to create a healthy mind as they grow older. You should introduce games with various shapes, colors, and songs to your baby as young as possible.Take the baby to the beach for their birthday. They can play in the sand, enjoy the water, with you holding them of course, and play around with other babies who are enjoying the sand as well.A special blanket for your baby is a great gift, and depending on the type of personality, they may hold onto the blanket for a lot longer than their first couple years. The blanket is something the baby will identify with very quickly and it will eventually have a place in a memento box one day.You want your baby to know that bath time is fun, so get them a gift that will allow them to play in the bath. You can get them special shampoo and soap meant for their skin, or a bunch of toys that the two of you can play with in the bathtub.Give your baby the gift of music. Studies have shown that a baby introduced to music, particularly classical, at an early age, grow up to have well-formed minds that nurture many mental abilities including problem solving and creativity. There are many CDs out that actually cater to a baby and are the best bet to buy over the usual music CD.Get the baby something that is personalized. It can be a jumper with their initials or a blanket with their name stitched into it, because like the blanket, it is something that they will save throughout their lives and it will bring back warm feelings of being a baby long ago.Try and find the best gift you can for your baby and make it something that will help them nurture their minds and bodies, as well as teach them about having fun. They are your baby and they deserve only the best.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Is Commercial Lice Cures Safe?

There was a time when over the counter lice cures was the best way to treat head lice, but today there are some serious questions surrounding the use of these shampoos and creams. Not only do they contain a pesticide that may build up in your system and cause eventual harm, but also they do not seem to be working as well as they once did.It is speculated that head lice are becoming immune to the poisons in over the counter and prescription lice treatments, making them much less effective as lice cures. More often we are seeing people having to treat head lice several times with these medicated shampoos, without managing to get rid of the head lice.As a result, today many doctors are recommending that head lice be treated with natural head lice cures. This is especially true for children, as the long-term affects of these treatments that contain insecticide are not really known yet. The standard procedure for a natural lice cure involves using a non-toxic treatment on the hair, and then manually removing the lice and nits with a specially designed comb. These natural lice cures not only appear to work better, but they are not exposing your child to the toxins in commercial lice treatments.However, there are some precautionary measures that should be taken when treating lice, even if you are using natural lice cures.If the person who is infested with lice has lacerations on the scalp, especially if these sores are oozing puss, it is very important that you consult with a healthcare practitioner about how to treat the condition. This is a sign that the scalp has become infected because of scratching, and an antibiotic ointment may be necessary to clear up the infection.Another thing to keep in mind is that you should never use any type of poison or flammable substance on any part of the human body, including the hair. This can lead to injury or death.Many years ago it was common practice to use gasoline or kerosene on the hair as lice cures, but this practice is far too dangerous and should never be used. Every year children are maimed and killed because a parent used this procedure as a lice cure. Never use anything dangerous on yourself or your children. If you are looking for lice cures, there are far too many out there to even think about using a flammable and dangerous substance.Always choose a safe and non-toxic lice cure to rid your family of any head lice infestations.