Syracuse Schools Loosen Admission Standards for Children with Head Lice

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Sept. 12, 2014 - PRLog -- LiceDoctors Head Lice Treatment and Nit Removal Services in the Syracuse, New York area reports that schools in the district have become more lenient with their lice policies. In accordance with recommendations of the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the National School Nurses Association, the district has dropped its "no nit" lice policy.

The reason behind the revised recommendations by these key medical associations is that too many students were missing days of schools, sometimes weeks,  for something that is a nuisance but not an illness. In addition. the American Academy of Pediatrics states that by the time a case is identified, usually a couple of weeks have gone by giving the child ample opportunity to spread lice to his or her friends.

The Syracuse head lice policy is now outlined as "Children with lice should be referred for treatment at the end of the day. Until the end of the day, avoid activity that involves the child in head-to-head contact with other children or sharing of head gear."

According to the district web site, the "Syracuse Department of Health Services in working with students and staff regarding head lice aims to:
Increase the number of children ready to learn when entering school;
Improve the educational performance of all children;
Improve a child’s mental and physical health;
Increase the number of children in a safe, stable, and nurturing home and community environment;
Avoid out-of-home placements when filing educational neglect because children are chronically absent due to head lice; and to
Educate parents that while head lice do not carry disease, children need to be treated to prevent further spread within the school.
Educate staff about head lice to minimize disruption to educational process, and to work with staff to develop management strategies for prevention and containment of head lice infection."

Some school nurses are supportive of this policy change, mirroring the statements made by the aforementioned medical groups. Other school nurses are advocates of  "no nit" policies claiming that the risk of widespread transmission of head lice outweighs the risk of unnecessary school absenteeism.

The debate on the topic of head lice is likely to continue according to Karen Sokoloff, owner of LiceDoctors Head Lice Treatment and Nit Removal Service. "There are reasonable arguments to be made on both sides of this issue. We hate to see children miss school, especially since nits are not contagious, but if a case is not monitored the nits hatch and then the active bugs are contagious. . It is essential for students with nits to be treated with a follow-up plan."

To learn more about head lice, visit LiceDoctors' web site at www.licedoctors.com. LiceDoctors has an in-home lice treatment service that has successfully treated over 110,000 clients using a natural lice treatment plan developed by its board-certified medical director nearly 20 years ago. The company has the Better Business Bureau Seal of Approval and can be reached in Syracuse at 315-565-2526.  LiceDoctors in-home service is also available in upstate New York in Ithaca, Buffalo, Rochester, Albany and all surrounding areas. LiceDoctors can also be reached at 800-224-2537.