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Page: Conclusions and perspectives about head lice - what research is missing
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* Currently, there is no evidence or written research to support the pesticidal/chemical cleaning of sheets and clothing, or the treating of earphones, baseball helmets, and furniture (with insecticide sprays). Toxins in the lice control products may have greater side effects on people, animals and the environment than current research shows.
* Infection is spread among people by head to head contact—thus, typically, among people who know each other well. Lice seen on chairs, pillows, and hats are dead, sick, or elderly, or are cast skins of lice. These may not infect a person. Research is needed to see if lice can be spread by hats, pillows, etc.
* School-based "no-nits" policies (banning children with nits until all nits are removed) do not make sense to everyone — having a child sent home is troublesome and annoying to working parents. Some children sent home for head lice don't have them. Some people, including public health experts, believe that "no-nits" policies should be abandoned, citing reasons such as missed class time, ostracism or teasing by other children, annoyance from a non-health-threatening issue, loss of parents' work time, etc. In countries like England this is not allowed because it is deemed as "discriminatory" and "exclusion". Therefore, the parents of the child will not be informed.
* Supporters of the "no-nits" policy feel that children can work better in school without the infestation; that control is necessary; that children will have better self-esteem if lice infestations are removed, etc.
* Chemical treatment should not be started unless live lice are found. Nits are not a sign of active infestation with headlice. Toxic chemicals may cause unknown side effects.
* Cutting hair or tying it back is not helpful, and may increase the incidence of infestation by making it easier for lice to move on and off the scalp.
* Head lice are probably more common in girls because girls are more likely to have close contacts during play—not because they have longer hair.
* Head lice are not life-threatening. Separated from their host, lice are vulnerable (will die quickly without blood from a host) and have a short life span.
* Headlice do not prefer clean hair; they do not prefer dirty hair; they just like hair.
* Treating Head Lice by Beth Nash BMJ Volume 326 7 June 2003]
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