Can My Baby Have Head Lice?

by | Mar 21, 2019 | Lice Treatments, parenting | 0 comments

Yes! It may be hard to believe, but even babies are at risk for head lice. Anyone with hair on their head is susceptible to infection, especially if there are others in your home who are carriers.

The Centers for Disease Control related to us that children between the ages of 3 to 12 are most likely to catch head lice. This is generally because they spend so much time around other children in settings where lice can be easily transferred. Such as daycare, school, camps, play dates, etc. If an older child is a carrier for head lice, it can easily be transferred to an infant at home.

We love to snuggle, hold and love up on little babies. If your child unknowingly has head lice and is in contact with your baby they are at risk for head lice. Anyone, at any age that has a head full of hair, is capable of contracting head lice. If your baby has head lice we’ve got some helpful tips for you.

 

Are you worried your baby has head lice? Here’s what we suggest you do:

  1. Look through your babies hair and make sure that they are showing symptoms or signs of head lice. This includes small, brown head lice that are about the size of a sesame seed. Bites from head lice will cause red, irritated bumps around the scalp. Particularly in areas behind the ears, at the base of the neck and the crown of the head. If head lice are present you will also notice rashes or irritations from their fecal matter and saliva that can irritate the skin and cause swelling. Nits or lice eggs will also be present. These are yellow or white in color, shaped like an oval and secreted onto single strands of hair near the base of the scalp. They will be difficult to remove, unlike dandruff or flaky skin.  
  2. Check all members of your household for head lice or signs of nits. Anyone could be a carrier.
  3. Thoroughly clean your home, especially bedding, towels, furniture and clothing that could have lice or traces of head lice. Place items in the washing machine and dryer on a high setting for 20 minutes. Vacuum all furniture or areas that could be infected.
  4. Make sure NOT to use any chemical treatments, or over the counter products that could cause a reaction or negatively impact your infant. These are not safe and not recommended by pediatricians.
  5. We recommend only using non-medicated treatments for your infant if they do indeed have lice. Contact Lice Clinics of Texas today at your local branch to talk through the best possible options for your baby. We are here to help you!

 

Treatment at Home for Your Baby

Step 1- Lay your baby down in a comfortable position on top of a towel.

Step 2 – Wet down your babies hair with warm water. Keep a bowl of warm water close.

Step 3- Apply a small amount of hair conditioner to your babies hair to help make it easily manageable.

Step 4 –  Comb through the babies hair in sections looking for head lice and nits. Use a fine-tooth comb or a nitpicking comb that will capture the head lice or nits as you brush up through the hair. With each section you comb through, dip the comb into the bowl of water to wash away any head lice or nits you picked up.

Step 5 – Continue working through their hair until you no longer notice any lice or nits. This process might take several attempts.

Step 6 – Rinse their hair clean and dry.

Step 7 – Continue to watch out for any signs of head lice. Sometimes it can be very difficult to remove every nit or louse on the scalp. Repeat the steps as necessary.