JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The American Academy of Pediatrics says that while head lice is a nuisance, it should not be a reason to keep children home from school.
AAP says head lice is not known to spread disease and along with the National Association of School Nurses agrees that,"no healthy child should be excluded from school or allowed to miss school time because of head lice or nits."
Recommended Videos
Nits are the eggs of head lice.
Both groups advocate that "no-nit" policies should be discontinued. This policy requires a child be free of nits before he/she can return to school.
AAP also said that screening kids at school for head lice does not reduce the occurrence of head lice and that routine screenings at schools should also be discontinued.
The group recommends using over-the-counter medications and strongly urges parents to read instructions before applying treatment. Medication does not kill all the eggs, therefore the AAP recommends the use of a fine-tooth comb called a "nit-comb," which can make the process much easier.
Local school districts have a "no-nit" policy, so no word how they will react to this new recommendation.