Holy cow! I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I'm feeling really bad for 25-year-old ShaunaSuggs of Oklahoma who accidentally lit her 5-year-old daughter's hair on fire while trying to get rid of lice. The little girl suffered second and third degree burns over 60 percent of her body and after being released from the hospital was placed in the custody of the Department of Human Services. Suggs has been charged with felony child abuse with injury.
What happened was that Suggs poured gasoline all over her daughter's head trying to get rid of lice and a nearby heater caught both the little girl and Suggs on fire. Dylan Webster, Suggs' live-in boyfriend, was able to smother the flames with a jacket. I really don't believe that Suggs intended to hurt her daughter and this horrible accident could have easily been avoided with proper treatment for getting rid of head lice. Gasoline is not the way to treat head lice.
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My daughters have yet to come down with a case of head lice, but I'm thinking that it's just a matter of time. It seems that no child is immune to contagion. So what is the proper way to deal with a head lice infestation?
Once you have determined that your child has lice, there are treatment options available to you.
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A doctor can recommend topical medication to kill the lice. There are over-the-counter options available. You must follow the instructions carefully as these treatments are insecticides and you want to use them safely and properly.
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If a topical treatment is not working, oral medication may be prescribed after consulting with your doctor.
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Nits and lice can be removed by hand, that's how my abuela did it. She would use a special fine tooth comb and kill the nits and lice by hand. She would repeat the process daily until the issue was all cleared up. You can wet the hair before doing this because it temporarily immobilizes the lice and you can also use conditioner to help get the comb through the hair. If you have a child 2 and under, removing lice by hand is the way to go.
Let's get rid of lice while keeping our children safe. You can visit KidsHealth.org for more tips on how to remove lice and how to prevent reinfestation.
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