Home-schooling better than another lice outbreak, mom says
Last Updated: Friday, January 30, 2009 | 7:55 AM ET
CBC News
A central Newfoundland mother has decided to pull her daughter from school after the girl had a third infestation with head lice.
Botwood resident April Budgell has decided to home-school her daughter Sarah, 6, until public health authorities change their policy and implement mandatory inspections of school-age children for the parasite.
Budgell said she has learned far more than she wanted about lice since her first encounter last fall.
"I was getting her ready for a birthday party, I was combing her hair and I [saw] it move," Budgell said. "It was devastating — tears, the whole bit."
Budgell has decided to pull her daughter from Memorial Academy in Botwood after two other infestations. She said she has no complaints with the quality of education at the school, and that she blames public health officials for not doing enough to prevent the spread of lice.
"If [they were] willing to go down into the school, check the kids' heads, send home whoever got it and they're not allowed back, she'd be back the next day," Budgell said.
However, public health officials stopped checking children for head lice about 10 years ago, on grounds that the program was not effective.
Dr. Ann Roberts, the medical officer of health for the Central Health regional authority, said such a program will not be returning to the schools.
"Mass screenings don't really prevent lice, because [you would have to] just come back and screen again next time there's a complaint," she said.
Roberts said Central Health instead teaches parents on how to watch for lice and how to treat a child with lice.
Budgell said that policy is not enough, and is refusing to send her daughter back to class until Central Health changes its policy.
In a position statement published last fall, the Canadian Pediatric Society said shampoos with insecticide remain the best way to treat head lice, and noted that head lice do not cause disease, although they do annoy parents. The CPS statement said treated children should continue to attend school.
