Headlice

[tmprince]

I slice a huge problem in NZ? and what age group if contracted at school?

[JandM]

Head lice can spread through ANY group of people who work closely enough together that they are sometimes likely to touch heads. There's nothing particular about children, except that they do often work on the same thing, and lean in to see what they're doing (and they cuddle close to adults and share any 'passengers', too). And lice like clean heads best. Very generally, they're more likely to go through a whole class of younger children who have less feeling of personal space/keeping their distance, but then older children are more likely to have close friends they whisper privately with. You can be 'lucky' with any age child.

[GrumpyGoat]

Fortunately, we have not had any of the lice. But I have been warned by other mothers that it does sweep through on occasion.

Also, (and I dread this more than lice just because, well, eww) I have been warned that pin worms sweep through as well. I have actually had several mothers warn of this one.

Ewww!


I think of the two, I would rather have the lice.

[YouMeAndThree]

Originally Posted by tmprince

I slice a huge problem in NZ? and what age group if contracted at school?

I have not found it to be any more of a problem than in the UK tbh. It will start at any young age where children are playing together. Gets less of a problem once the hit their teens as by then children are less likely to get head to head.

[Kanga]

and impetigo.

Oh the joys of a rural NZ education ...

[Flutterby]

To be fair having just travelled from the other side of the world and having a child who will make friends with just about anyone we could have picked them up anywhere UK/KL/NZ, and i do vaguely remember somebody telling me that they were doing the rounds, but that could have been any number of places (she really does make a lot of friends) so the only reason that it is highlighted as an issue for me is that this is the 1st time i've needed to deal with it as a mother, the last time i experienced lice i was a young teen and it was pretty much dealt with by my mother, and i've just arrived in a new place and not completely got my bearings yet.

[seattle]

Originally Posted by GrumpyGoat

Fortunately, we have not had any of the lice. But I have been warned by other mothers that it does sweep through on occasion.

Also, (and I dread this more than lice just because, well, eww) I have been warned that pin worms sweep through as well. I have actually had several mothers warn of this one.

Ewww!


I think of the two, I would rather have the lice.

Yep- this one swept through my daughters class last fall. I had never heard of this until we got to NZ. ick is right!

[Flutterby]

ummmm ewwwww, but i remember hearing about this at school in the uk as a teenager!

[sweetpea]

Originally Posted by seattle

I had never heard of this until we got to NZ. ick is right!

Me neither! Never had a problem with lice growing up, and never even heard of whipworm or school sores (staph skin infections, from what I can gather) before I got to NZ. I don't know if it's the climate, or less of a handwashing culture, or what. But yuck.

[dilanium]

We had monthly lice checks at my elementary school in the US. I loved the feeling of them going through my hair with "chopsticks" looking for lice, so I always looked forward to it.