Barbara Frankowski, MD. MPH, FAAP
Back to School Health Concerns
Head lice are often a fact of life for school?aged children. While inconvenient, head lice cause no medical harm and can be effectively treated. A revised clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), “Head Lice,” published in the August print issue of Pediatrics (published online July 26), clarifies and updates protocols for diagnosis and treatment, and provides guidance for the management of children with head lice in the school setting. Head lice are not a health hazard or a sign of poor hygiene and, in contrast to body lice, are not responsible for the spread of any disease. No healthy child should be excluded from or miss school because of head lice, and no-nit policies for return to school should be abandoned. Informed school nurses can help with diagnosis and suggestions about treatment. Because head lice are usually transmitted by head?to?head contact, parents should carefully check a child’s head before and after attending a sleepover or camp where children share sleeping quarters. There are many ways to treat active infestations, but not all products and techniques have been evaluated for safety and effectiveness. One percent permethrin lotion is recommended as initial treatment for most head lice infestations with a second application 7?10 days after the first. Parents and caregivers should make sure that any treatment chosen is safe; preferred treatments would be those which are easy to use, reasonably priced, and proven to be non?toxic. All products must be used exactly according to manufacturer’s instructions. Your pediatrician can help with diagnosis, treatment choices and management of difficult cases.
Dr.Barbara Frankowski, MD. MPH, FAAP, who served nationally as the Chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on School Health, comes on the show to discuss the reccommendations of the AAP regarding Head Lice and to discuss other back to school health concerns such a food sharing.
Barbara Frankowski, MD. MPH, FAAP has been a primary care pediatrician at Vermont Children's Hospital in Burlington VT for 25 years, and is Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. She is also the Health Consultant for the local Public School District, and has served nationally as the Chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on School Health. Her interest in Head Lice stems from a passion to do what's right for school-aged children and their families. Dr Frankowski graduated from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and did further training at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland, OH, and the Universitsy of Rochester in Rochester, NY,
Melanie Cole, M.S.
Prom Safety! PSA
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