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JOHN WINTHROP SCHOOL, BRIDGEPORT, CT 06606-1133
2PARENTS4KIDS October 20, 2011
SCHOOL HAS A MEDICAL PROBLEM (PEDICULUS HUMANUS CAPITIS)ALSO KNOWN AS HEAD LICE! AN THE NURSE IS'NT INFORMING ALL THE PARENTS OF ALL THE CHILDREN ATTENDING SAID SCHOOL SO THAT WE AS RESPONSABLE PARENT'S CAN SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR ALL INFECTED WITH THIS DISGUSTING DISEASE.WHY? I WOULD HOPE I DID'NT HAVE TO FIND OUT THE HARD WAY BUT I DID YES MY CHILD HAD CAUGHT THIS NASTY DISEASE ALONG WITH OTHERS IN MY HOUSEHOLD AN MY WIFE AN I ARE SICK ABOUT THE WHOLE SITUATION WE ALONG WITH THE DEPT OF ENVIOR CALLED THE SCHOOLS NURSE ON 10-12-11 AND SHE ALONG WITH SCHOOLS PRINCIPAL IS DECIDING ON WHO NEEDS TO KNOW!. WHEN THE WHOLE SCHOOL AN STAFF SHOULD BE NOTIFIED AND MOST OF ALL THE PARENTS OF ALL CHILDREN ATTENDING JOHN WINTHROP SCHOOL IN BRIDGEPORT, CT SHOULD BE NOTIFIED!AS I SAID NOT JUST A SELECT FEW!SO THAT WE AS PARENT'S MAY RECIEVE THE MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR OUR CHILDREN BEFORE AND AS WELL AS AFTER(GOD FORBID) SO THE WHOLE SCHOOL AND ALL CAN GET RID OF THIS NASTY AND DISGUSTING DISEASE WITH ALL SHAMPOOING THIER HEAD'S AS NEEDED! AND HOPEFULLY IT'S NOT TO LATE FOR ALL OF OUR CHILDREN TO COME HOME WITH A CASE OF HEAD LICE.
WHICH BY THE WAY IS TRASMITTED NORMALLY BY CLOSE CONTACT BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL'S MAKING SOCIAL CONTACT!AN AMONG CHILDREN AND PARENT-CHILD INTERACTION'S ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE ROUTE'S OF INFESTION THAN A SHARED COMB,BRUSH, TOWEL,CLOTHING OR BED SHARING.HEAD TO HEAD IS BY FAR THE MOST COMMON ROUTE OF TRANSMISSION!! SO I ASK WHY WHY ARE'NT YOU, MRS PRINCIPAL AN MOST OF ALL MRS NURSE OF JOHN WINTHROP SCHOOL IN BRIDGEPORT,CT 06606-1133 TELLING MOST OF ALL THE PARENT'S OF THE ATTENDING CHILDREN THAT YOU HAVE A HEAD LICE PROBLEM IN YOUR SCHOOL?FOR WHAT OVER A WEEK NOW!!
CT
MagnetMom October 20, 2011
Hi 2PARENTS4KIDS,
Boy, can I understand your frustration and concern. Typically schools will inform the parents of a class with an infestation. As for disgusting, it is a hassle, but it's neither dangerous nor would you need medical attention. Some schools have even dropped their no nits policy meaning so long as there are no live critters, that children can come back to school. I'm not so sure I could embrace that myself.
I know you're upset, but as you get through the next week, you might be able to even laugh about it. Of course, that's after literally ALL the laundry, ALL the bedmaking, and hours of picking critters out of your heads.
A few suggestions: Find the episode of "Dirty Jobs" called the "Hair Whisperer" and watch it together.
Secondly, Google "head lice" and start reading. You'll start to realize that there are several ways to treat lice, and not all of them require shampoos. Essentially very careful combing will get rid of them in a short period of time without chemicals. They have a very short life, so the more careful you brush and the quicker you pull the eggs, they can't survive anywhere else.
One of my favorite articles is here: http://articles.latimes.com/2009/dec/28/opinion/la-oe-koss28-2009dec28
I don't know if I will ever get to this writer's level of acceptance with lice, but you will survive this.
Good luck!74272
2PARENTS4KIDS October 22, 2011
HI MAGNET MOM, INFORMATION IS'NT THE PROBLEM! THE SCHOOL IS AND HOW THEY HANDLED THIS MEDICAL PROBLEM (IE NURSE,PRINCIPLE) AFTER MYSELF AND THE DEPT OF HEALTH (IE- DEPT OF ENVIROMENTAL) CONTACTED THE SCHOOL NURSE ON 10 12 11.AS 10 DAY'S WENT BY AND IT TOOK ME TO GO AS FAR AS CALLING NEWS 12 AN FOR ME TO STAND OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL WITH A SIGN TO MAKE PARENTS AWARE OF THE HEAD LICE EPIDEMIC. FINALLY ON 10 21 11 THE SCHOOL WOULD NOTIFY ALL PARENTS!!. OVER A WEEK!! THATS NOT EXCEPTABLE!! ALL PARENTS SHOULD OF BEEN NOTIFIED ON 10 12 11 WHEN THE SCHOOL WAS!! SO TO ERADIACATE THE EPIDEMIC .NOT TRY TO KEEP IT QUITE AN TELL ONLY THE INFECTED CHILDRENS PARENTS. MEANWHILE THE EPIDEMIC WAS SPREADING AN MOST LIKELY IS STILL.I SAY THIS BECAUSE FIRST AN FORMOST THE WHOLE SCHOOL SHOULD BE TREATED AND CHILDREN AN STAFF NOT JUST A FEW SELECT AND GOD FORBID THIER FAMILYS! SECOND I SAY THIS BECAUSE THE NURSE WAS CHECKING THE STUDENTS ONE BY ONE WITHOUT ANY PROTECTION ON HERSELF!! NO PROTECTIVE HEAD CAP!! SO SHE HERSELF WAS MOST LIKELY SPREADING IT TO ALL WHO WERE'NT INFECTED.74306
Mom2KAMD November 6, 2011
Lice are disgusting, but are NOT a disease. There are so many cases of them in schools, that it would be difficult to notify parents everytime there is an infestation. The health dept. considers them a nuisance. There are bigger issues that the nurse and principal have to deal with. 74661
lisken November 7, 2011
OK, time to calm down.
Head lice and their eggs (nits) are not, I repeat, NOT a disease. We've had infestations more times than I can count, and we ain't dead yet. I am from Australia, where clearly, we get more cases of them, because you can walk into any chemist shop and pick from a huge array of treatments, from natural to toxic, from ten minute shampoos to 4 hour treatments. Here's the deal: the lice need to be stunned, and any treatment shampoo, ordinary conditioner, or even olive oil will do this. You can add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to the conditioner/oil if you want. BUT, you must not go more than ten minutes, because the ones that are still alive, will revive a little, and it's harder to deal with them then. If you have used the conditioner/oil, you can start combing straight away with the fine tooth comb, wiping it after each stroke onto a paper towel. If you have used the shampoo,you can rinse the hair, then apply the conditioner and start combing. Then you rinse out, and for good measure, use a hair dryer or hot hair straightener over the whole head - this helps burn any nits still hanging onto the hair shaft. We then use the hair straightener every couple of days, and use the natural spray (it's Australian, trust me, it's good!) which you can buy at chemists and supermarkets. Used daily it's a good preventative.
Yes it's awful dealing with your kid's reluctance to be treated, but that's actually the worst thing about a lice infestation. At worst, the lice can bite your scalp and cause itching, but you'll usually have treated your head before you get to that stage. Seriously, now that we are living in America, I find the hysteria over lice, and the nurse sending kids home from school to be an over the top reaction. Lice are a part of school life, and you just need to have the treatments at the ready. And there is no way the nurse is passing on lice, unless she bends down and gives the kids a nuzzle - lice walk, not jump, from head to head.
Good luck.74674
bettyjl November 9, 2011
According to the Center for Disease Control, public schools cannot ban a child from school because of lice. Also, a school has to proceed very carefully because of HIPA laws. Each school district should have a uniform policy regarding this. I know how frustrating this can be to parents. When I started working in the schools 24 year ago, it was not uncommon to do a whole-room head check but research has shown that this does little to prevent or stop the problem. Lice can only live off the body for a short time but it is important to take all the cleaning steps if you are an unlucky victim, including vacuuming the car seats. One area parents often miss is the backpack. A backpack should either be placed in the dryer or placed in a plastic bag for several days. The hair should be combed daily with a fine-tined comb (such as licemeister) for the first few days and then periodically until you're sure the critters and eggs are gone. A generous coating of conditioner or mayonnaise will help dislodge the eggs for combing. It is not necessary or advised to use chemical treatments, which can be toxic, especially if used repeatedly. A hair dryer is an excellent preventative treatment. The important thing to remember is that lice is not caused by uncleanliness or bad parenting ~ anyone can be a victim. Diligence in cleaning (when there is a lice infestation), both of the hair and the home, is the key to eradicating the pests!74703
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