Ask Dr. Dina: How can I prevent my kid from getting lice?

Lice is making its way through the school—again. How can we avoid this plague?

The one good thing about lice is that they do not jump. They only spread with direct contact. So if your child is sharing hats, brushes or pillows with their friend who has lice, she is more likely to be infested as well. Sharing is great, but having bugs in your hair is not: Teach your kids to tuck hats in their coat sleeves when they aren’t wearing them; send pillows from home for sleepovers; and remind kids to never borrow a friend’s brush. Unfortunately, there’s no evidence that those old wives’ tales about warding off lice with tea tree oil or treating them with mayonnaise and vinegar work.

Dina Kulik is a paediatrician and emergency room doctor in Toronto and mom to three boys, who are five, three and 17 months. Send her your kids’ health questions at editors@todaysparent.com

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