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DoDEA School Health Services Manual 2942.0 Volume 1 Revised: 2016 DRAFT
unnecessary concern, additional information on pediculosis is being addressed within
this Manual.
Pediculosis (head lice) is a condition in which an insect lives on the human head
and ingests a blood meal several times a day. Head lice can spread from head to head,
which is why the condition is contagious. Head lice are very small, brownish, and
wingless. Head lice have a life cycle of approximately 30 days and cannot survive
without the human host. Head lice can crawl, very rapidly; they cannot fly or jump. A
mature head louse will lay eggs (nits) on an individual hair shaft at the base of the
scalp. The nits are secured to the hair shaft and cannot be shaken loose. A nit casing
will remain on the hair shaft long after the nymph has hatched and as the hair shaft
grows the proximity of the nit to the scalp widens. A nit is about the size and color of a
grain of sand.
Per the Centers for Disease Control,
( http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/schools.html ), "No-nit" policies that require a
child to be free of nits before they can return to schools should be discontinued for the
following reasons:
•
Nits are usually not viable and very unlikely to hatch to become crawling lice,
or may in fact be empty shells, also known as casings.
•
Nits are cemented to hair shafts and are very unlikely to be transferred
successfully to other people.
•
The burden of unnecessary absenteeism to the students, families and
communities far outweighs the risks associated with head lice.
•
Misdiagnosis of nits is very common during nit checks conducted by
nonmedical and inexperienced personnel.
Protocol:
1.
Classroom teachers should routinely observe their students for
signs/symptoms of nits and or head lice (see
Section I: I-15,What School
Personnel Should Know about Pediculosis). This can be done as they walk
around the room checking seat work or at any other time that they are in
close proximately with a student. A student suspected of having head lice is
referred to the school nurse using SHSM Form H-4-6 (Health Referral).
2.
If head lice are found, the school nurse should screen siblings before
notifying the sponsor/parent/guardian. Ascertain if the student(s) have taken
part in any activities that involve close personal contact (e.g., sleep over).
Those students and other close contacts should also be screened.
•
Whole classroom head checks are no longer the prudent action to take.
•
When conducting a screening, the nurse must take all precautions
necessary to protect the privacy of the student.