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Lice Has your child been scratching her head a bit too often lately? Head lice infestation is not as rare as it is thought to be. Lice are parasitic insects that feed on human blood, which they draw from the scalp. A fully-grown head louse feeds several times a day, and after every feeding he injects saliva into the wound, which causes irritation and itching. Lice are not harmful per se, but the itching is extremely uncomfortable. In addition, excessive itching leads to infection which, if left untreated, can get worse and cause the hair to get matted with pus. While the life span of lice is extremely small - they barely live for more than a month - the female louse lays between 50 to 100 eggs before she dies, which in turn leads to more lice. Lice eggs are known as nits, and they are generally found close to the scalp. They are silvery white in colour, and resemble dandruff, but have a much firmer consistency. Most kids get lice from other kids,
and hence lice is extremely common in school-going children. Schools have
been proved to be portals of infections for children. Most infectious disease
(chickenpox, measles etc.) in a child can be traced to some contact in
school. Lice don't fly, so as long as your child keeps his head away from
other 'heads', his chances of contracting lice is minimal. However, lice
can also be contracted through shared clothing, caps and brushes.
Getting rid of lice
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