Have you ever noticed tiny insects that might seem to be clinging onto your baby’s hair? They are lice! Do not be deceived by their size however. These little insects are experts at sucking blood from your precious baby’s scalp! Even though head lice are not particularly dangerous, they just might be the main reason you might find your little one scratching his/her scalp often! It is a very common thinking that head lice are caused by poor hygiene. However, head lice can thrive as easily in clean hair as in dirty hair. The main reasons for your little one catching a case of head lice is that they might just be doing the rounds of the neighbourhood, and your child could easily have come in contact with someone who had them. Signs that your baby has head lice: Lice are brilliant at camouflaging themselves and as a result of this, they can very difficult to spot. If you think that the first thing you will be able to notice if your baby has head lice is him scratching his head, then you would be wrong. You see, lice can live on your little one’s head easily for up to 3 months, without even causing slight irritation or itching. The best way, however, to figure whether your baby has head lice or not is to use a fine toothed lice comb on his/her wet hair, whilst carefully examining the scalp as well. The main signs to look out for:
- Shiny and white empty egg shells that can be found nearer to the scalp
- Live and moving adult lice on your baby’s hair and scalp
- Rash of the back of your baby’s neck, caused by irritation from the droppings of young lice.
Getting Rid of Lice: There are many options available in the market nowadays when it comes to controlling the lice population on your baby’s head. From anti-lice shampoos that you can use for your baby, to being able to comb through his/her hair on a regular basis would help to a great extent in controlling the lice population. When using anti-lice shampoo, be careful to read the instructions on the bottle. But before you do opt for an over the counter anti-lice shampoo, it might be a good idea to consult your pediatrician. Your pediatrician would ofcourse be aware of any allergies or medical history that your child might have, and suggest an anti-lice shampoo accordingly. If none of the shampoos or treatments seem to work for your kid, then there always are those age old home remedies that our ancestors used to try out. It isn’t like they never had lice now, is it? Things like using neem water to give your baby a bath has worked and proven quite effective when it comes to curbing and even getting rid of lice. So do think about trying it since it won’t even cause your baby any harm. If all else fails, then one final way in which you can make sure to get rid of all those lice is by shaving off your little one’s hair! But do use this as a last resort, since we do not think that your child would like the idea of being bald too much. :P
