FUJAIRAH // Many infestations of head lice have recently been reported, and they will not be effectively contained until parents know more about the pests, health experts say.
Dermatologists say knowledge of the lice and proper treatment are crucial to controlling outbreaks.
“There are common signs that every parent should be aware of, like itching and sleeping problems among their kids,” said Dr Hassan El Behiri of Al Sharq Hospital in Fujairah.
“Only forty per cent of the parents turn to doctors in such cases for advice.”
Dr El Behiri said that left many who did not learn the proper way or the right products to treat the problem, which could lead to the whole family being infected.
Amal Ghareeb, 31, a Jordanian mother of three, said her children were infested and it was a “nightmare”.
“I had a call from the school nurse saying that my six-year-old boy had head lice and that’s when I panicked,” Ms Ghareeb said.
“I didn’t know what to do.”
She found that her elder daughter had the same problem, so she started to apply medication and follow her mother’s instructions.
“I managed to control the situation but it created a phobia for me, and since that day I built a habit of always check their heads and wishing for the best,” Ms Ghareeb said.
Dr El Behiri said more girls were infected than boys.
“Usually lice spread during head-to-head contact but it’s more common among girls after using a friend’s comb or hair ribbons, and due to the length of their hair,” he said.
Head lice are wingless insects that spend their entire 30-day life cycle on the human scalp. They do not spread disease and are regarded as more of a nuisance than anything else.
Dr El Behiri said children with lice should stay at home for three days and recommended medication with natural ingredients and a comb specially designed for children under 5.
Farzana Parkar, manager of Smart Kid Nursery in Fujairah and a mother of two, said: “It is one of the major issues that we deal with at our nursery, and we take it very seriously so it doesn’t spread in our kids.
“Our nursery does a weekly check-up on all children and, if we find a case, we directly contact the parents and invite them to a meeting instead of informing them over the phone,” said Ms Parkar, 36, from India.
“I believe that one out of five kids could have a head lice infestation at some point and we experience high infestation rates after the summer and winter breaks.”
Rachel Jex, an English nurse at Dubai British Foundation, a nursery near Jumeirah Islands for 265 children aged between 3 and 5, said that although there had been no recent cases at her school, she knew what action had to be taken.
“Knowledge depends on where people have come from and their backgrounds, but once you have seen one you won’t miss one again.”
Samar Al Nasir, group manager at Modern Urban Pharmacy in Abu Dhabi, said: “Head lice are very common, especially in the school season between September and May.
“There is more interaction between students in that period and thus there are more cases. We see an average of five such cases a day at the pharmacy.”
Schools should play an important role in educating the parents about any outbreak, said Ms Al Nasir.
rhaza@thenational.ae
* Additional reporting by Nick Webster and Anam Rizvi