Professionals such as LiceDoctors for example play a key role in informing parents to prevent lice epidemics in childcare facilities. But to be well informed, you still need to know about pediculosis
How Does Pediculosis Develop?
Pediculosis is a parasitosis caused by head lice. These parasites, measuring 1 to 3 mm, feed on blood taken from the scalp of humans, adults, and children alike. Each female lays about 4 eggs daily for 1.5 months, following a well-defined pattern: “Laying is done instinctively behind the ears and the back of children’s neck. These are the hottest places that allow the nits to evolve in an environment of 30 to 32°C, necessary for their hatching 6 to 9 days later
Lice are transmitted from head-to-head or by indirect contamination via fluffy fabrics, hats, and scarves, which can survive up to 48 hours.
Can Young Children Be Affected By Pediculosis?
The big carriers of lice are children, from 2 or 3 years old up to about 12 years old. The peak occurs around the age of 7 when children gain independence. Little girls, especially those with long hair, are the first to be affected. If they are not in the line of fire, the children welcomed in the community are, therefore, not spared from pediculosis. The first risk: is an intra-family transmission.
What Are The Symptoms Of Pediculosis In Toddlers?
Early childhood professionals such as Lice removal dallas for example need to spot the unmistakable signs and thus avoid contamination of the entire community. In this regard, the most obvious symptom is scratching. The itching is due to an allergy in children to the louse’s saliva. So, we often believe that children don’t have lice if they don’t scratch their heads. However, this is false. Itching may appear late, up to 2 months after contamination. In addition, some people are not allergic and will never scratch, even though they may have lice. Hence the importance of regularly checking the heads of toddlers!
To confirm pediculosis, it is then necessary to identify the presence of nits. Not to be confused with dandruff or cradle cap. Their distinctive sign: “the nits are laid no more than 2 centimeters from the scalp. Unlike dandruff, it does not fall off on its own. They’re eggs if you have to slide them down the hair to get them out.” The right gesture: check the entire head, insisting on the areas of the ears and the nape of the neck.
