|
By Susan Coburn
Greenwich Times/Stamford Advocate
April 18, 2000 - p. B1
The best treatment
for head lice infestation is prevention. Good
hygiene and frequent examination by the school nurse and parents during
outbreaks and the prime infestation seasons of fall and spring are excellent
precautionary measures.
Unfortunately,
playing on parents’ concerns at discovering head lice on their children,
deceptive advertising is rampant among lice treatment products. Last week, the Federal Trade Commission warned parents to
exercise caution after a “surf” of 28 Internet sites advertising head lice
treatment products uncovered numerous misleading claims.
HeadLice.Org, the
website of the National Pediculosis Association (a non-profit agency), provides
a thorough array of materials and sound advice on dealing with head lice,
underscored by credible sources and facts.
As NPA’s President, Deborah Altschuler, explains, “there’s always
someone out there who’s been through head lice, and before you know it,
they’re selling their grandmother’s potions.”
The objective of HeadLice.Org is to dispel many of these false notions
and offer proven, and often safer, methods of treating and preventing
infestations of head lice.
You won’t find
any flashing advertisements and endorsements on HeadLice.Org.
The uncluttered home page provides a useful tour of the site’s
contents, including links to current lice and scabies news, a list of frequently
asked questions on prevention and treatment of head lice, a catalog of helpful
handouts and resources, a special kids section, and a guest book to receive
further information.
According to
Altschuler, many of the site’s visitors are in search of a picture of a louse,
up close and personal. Click on the
FAQs link from the site’s home page to find a “family album” of the
creatures, including a nit (egg), a nymph (newborn), and an adult louse.
Other useful features of the FAQs section include handy tips on
treatments, including those that do and don’t work, and a knowledgeable
discussion on the perceived safety of over-the-counter products that claim
“100% effectiveness” (but aren’t).
In the special
section of the site geared toward kids, your child will find hands-on activities
that are entertaining as well as educational.
HeadLice.Org offers quizzes, an animation show, poems,
and books to help kids deal with the confusion and potential embarrassment
following a diagnosis of head lice. Plans
are also in the works to add more interactive features to this portion of the
website.
HeadLice.Org is updated as often as new information is
cleared for validity and reliability. For
funding, the site depends on sales of its LiceMeister comb for nit and lice
removal.
Whether or not
you’re currently in the market for a head lice product, bookmark this winning
site. You’ll be glad you did when
you’re in the unenviable situation of having to get rid of those pesky
creatures.
|
