Avoid Head Lice Shampoo

Head lice is something that makes me cringe, but I am sure it will go around my kids' school at some point. I like these treatment options. I do wonder how much the Lousebuster costs. On-line it says around $2600 and you have to go through a 2-hour training to use it. So I guess the idea is for schools to buy these?? If this ever happens at my house, I will try the petroleum jelly and washing all the lines, etc. I hope that works!

FROM ABC: Head lice can be a nightmare for parents and kids because of the absences from school, and the time and money that go into getting rid of the bugs. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently announced new developments and guidelines for identifying and managing head lice. Head lice have been plaguing humans since ancient times, and the bugs continue to adapt to new medicines that try to get rid of them.

The American Academy of Pediatrics discussed new developments and updated its 2002 guidelines and for diagnosing, treating, and managing school-based lice outbreaks. Since 2002, a new machine called the Lousebuster has been able to attack lice with a 30-minute application of hot air, and one study showed the machine killed nearly 100 percent of eggs and 80 percent of hatched lice. In April 2009, the FDA approved benzyl alcohol to get rid of lice in kids older than six months.

And a 2004 study proved that the old-fashioned remedy of covering the head with petroleum jelly was quite effective in removing the pests and their eggs. Lice shampoos that contain 1 percent of the chemical lindane raised concerns in recent years due to its negative effects to the central nervous system. The shampoos were also shown to cause seizures. The AAP has recently recommended stopping use of the shampoo. The lice-killing business is big. It has been estimated at 1 billion dollars.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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