Infants and toddlers

It may be surprising to know that even the youngest members of your family could get head lice. When an older child comes home from school with an infestation, it is common for head lice to be shared with their younger siblings or playmates, even infants and toddlers. Playing together and sharing common items such as pillows and combs makes it possible for lice to reach young children.

Lice do not jump or fly, but they do crawl. Imagine how often your children might play together on the floor with their toys and stuffed animals. This is a great opportunity for head lice to spread from one child to the next.

Infants may become irritable when they have head lice, especially because they are unable to scratch in response to the itchy feelings lice create. Toddlers, on the other hand, are likely to scratch their scalp frequently and complain of an itchy feeling – be sure to watch for these signs if you know your child may have been exposed to a playmate or sibling with lice.

You may notice tiny white eggs at the hair shaft. These are nits and are the most important thing to remove when getting rid of head lice. In young children, they may be less noticeable depending on the child’s hair type, so be sure to also look for redness or a rash on the back of the child’s neck and near the ears.

While this situation may irritate your child, there will be no long-term damage from the head lice and their nits. Head lice do not hurt anyone and cannot transmit diseases.

The most harm that can result from a head lice infestation has to do with the type of treatment you choose to remove the lice and nits. Toxic chemicals in some products have been shown to be unsafe in general, especially for young children who are still developing. Infants and toddlers have higher susceptibility to the negative effects of pesticides like pyrethrin, and they may even react negatively to some natural solutions containing essential oils. For instance, ome natural shampoos contain peppermint, which can slow or even stop the respiration of children under five.

Consider an enzyme-based, non-toxic approach instead. De-Licer is a non-toxic lice and nits shampoo made from enzymes derived from vegetables. Using De-Licer with a nit comb to regularly comb out nits and adult lice is one of the safest, most effective ways you can help your children become lice-free.