Parents
You should examine your child's head, especially behind the ears and at the nape of the neck, for nits and lice if your child exhibits symptoms (primarily itching) of a head lice infestation. If nits or lice are found, all household members should be examined for nits and lice every 2-3 days. Persons with live (crawling) lice or nits within 1/4 inch or less of the scalp should be treated.
To eliminate head lice successfully, it is very important that all treatment instructions and steps are carefully followed and completed. Please see our Treatment page for more information.
If your child has an active lice infestation, you should notify parents of your child’s playmates, as well as your child's school or child care facility, so that steps can be made to prevent further spread.
CDC does not make recommendations as to what specific product or products should be used to treat individual patients. You may wish to contact your doctor, pharmacist, or health department for additional about which product has been success for treating lice in your area.
“No-nits” policies that require a child to be free of nits before they can return to school or a child-care facility are not recommended. Children should be permitted to return to school or child-care after appropriate treatment is started. Head lice can be a nuisance but they have not been shown to spread disease.
The informational materials on CDC's Lice Web site are in the public domain and can be printed for further copying and distribution by choosing "printer-friendly version" located at the upper right side of the Web page.
Page last reviewed: May 16, 2007
Content Source: Division of Parasitic Diseases (DPD)
National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases (ZVED)