Pediatricians "nit-pick" school policy

KXAN/NBC - The American Academy of Pediatrics says there's no reason to keep children out of school for a case of head lice.

"Everybody always acts like it is the worst thing in the world," said nurse and lice expert Linda Strand, "but one in four children has head lice sometime in their life."

Head lice are transmitted among young children more frequently than any other problem except for the common cold. They almost never cause complications beyond itching and parent squeamishness.

That is why the American Academy of Pediatrics has reaffirmed its policy against schools sending home children who have a trace of eggs in their hair.

Most schools have a "No Nits" policy - referring to the eggs of head lice often found in children's hair. KXAN Austin News is in the process of gathering local policies from Austin area districts. Here are the responses so far:

• Eanes ISD: Parents of student identified with lice or nits are to be notified by the school nurse. When lice are first discovered, the child will be sent home for treatment. The child may be sent home again if lice or nits are found subsequent to the initial treatment, as deemed appropriate by the school nurse. Before the child is readmitted to school, the school nurse is to verify treatment and examine the student’s hair to determine whether lice have been eliminated.
  
• Hays CISD: If a child is found to have nits within 1/4 inch of their scalp, it's considered an active case of lice. We call the parents and have them treat their child before returning to school. We do not have a "no nit" policy. We will review our policy this year to include the possibility of notifying parents if we find a case of head lice and ask that they be treated, but will not require the student to remain in the nurse's office until the parent picks him/her up.
• Round Rock ISD: Round Rock ISD does not have a "No Nit" policy. We follow the guidelines and recommendations established by the Department of State Health Services. The district follows state law by sending a child home if live lice are found in their hair. They will be allowed to return to school after one medicated treatment has been given or they bring a note from a physician saying they have been cleared to return to school.
• San Marcos CISD: In the official student handbook for elementary children, head lice is one of the 7 listed items for which “a student will be sent home if any of these conditions exist.”

Many of the school policies are more about communication than student safety.

"Our campus nurses are diligent about sharing information on head lice with students and parents," said Hays CISD's director of student health services, Ruth Roberts. "Even though it is not pleasant and can make some parents nervous, a case of head lice is not a public health hazard. It is a nuisance."

Lice have a three stage life cycle - nits to larvae to lice - all of them very tiny.

The Academy of Pediatrics says most kids get infected through very close contact -- like sharing a pillow at a sleep over. And as the lice become increasingly resistant to chemicals to treat them, literal nit picking often remains the only way to get rid of the problem.

The physicians maintain that keeping children out of schools or camps for that duration won't do much to prevent the spread, and simply deprives the kids of too much time.