While head lice are not dangerous however, they are contagious. You should wash all bedding and clothing that your child uses and keep your other children at a distance as lice are spread from person to person by close contact or play. They are quite common among children from 3 to 12 years of age. They are more often found on the heads of girls than boys and are quite a nuisance to get rid of.

Lice are small, wingless insects that feed on small amounts of blood from their hosts’ head. They do not spread disease, but can cause itching and scratching that may lead to an infection.

If there is an outbreak of head lice in your child’s school, a notification will be sent home. It would be a good idea to check your child’s head, at the base of the neck for signs of “nits”. Before they hatch, they are tiny yellow, tan or brown dots, after they hatch they appear white. Lice lay their nits on the shaft of the hair close to the scalp. It takes 1 to 2 weeks for the eggs to hatch.

Here are some terrific sites that deal with the detection and removal of head lice:
1. http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/common/head_lice.html
2. http://www.headlice.org/
3. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/headlice.html
4. http://www.medicinenet.com/head_lice/article.htm

Hi @throne!

Head lice are common problem in infants and children. Lice can only infect humans and can be spread through direct contact with someone who is has it already or when using their belongings like hats, brushes or combs.

However, they don't jump from one child's head to another. The most common symptom if a child is infected with it is itching. If your child gets it from school, then you should begin checking your child every day for live lice. Adult red lice are reddish brown and 1/16-inch long. They tend to move very fast and are most commonly seen at the back of the neck and behind the ears. Lice can survive for two to three days when off the human body.

You can treat these lice with anti-lice shampoo necessary. If you see live lice and continue to see the new nits. This can be a sign of a live head lice infestation.