Chemical Remedies Threaten Children with Head Lice, According to the National Pediculosis Association

January 04 2007;  PR Web Newswire

Chemical remedies threaten children with head lice.

Needham, MA (PRWEB) January 4, 2007 -- The National Pediculosis Association® (www.HeadLice.org), the nation's leading non-profit health and education agency for safe and effective management of head lice, urges parents to get proactive and avoid using potentially toxic shampoos and lotions on children infested with head lice this winter.

Head lice are extremely common among children throughout the year. But the holiday season is a critical opportunity for parents to know what to look for and to screen their children in order to send them back to school lice and nit (lice eggs) free after vacation.

Head lice prevention can be accomplished easily through routine screening, early detection and thorough manual removal of all lice and nits. Head lice become more challenging the longer infestations go undetected.

The NPA advises parents to avoid combating this communicable disease with dangerous pesticides that are designed as neurotoxins and are potential carcinogens. "These treatments have more risk than benefit and are therefore totally inappropriate for the population of young children and families commonly affected by head lice," said Deborah Altschuler, President of The National Pediculosis Association. Families should especially avoid treatments that contain the chemical lindane, recently banned for agriculture by the EPA but unfortunately still prescribed for children with lice.

A Holistic Approach: The LiceMeister Comb® There are effective, non-toxic ways to control head lice, including use of the LiceMeister Comb®. "The NPA developed the LiceMeister comb as a practical and realistic alternative to what otherwise becomes excessive use of potentially harmful pesticides," stated Ms. Altschuler.

The NPA strongly urges a proactive prevention approach. Managing head lice by relying on treatments to which the lice are resistant promotes a crisis mentality. A lack of accurate information and preparedness results in too many treatment failures and too many days out of school. The LiceMeister comb offers the much-needed opportunity for early detection, safety and peace of mind. Proceeds from the comb help support the educational outreach programs of the NPA.

About The National Pediculosis Association,® Inc. The National Pediculosis Association (NPA) is the only non-profit health and education agency dedicated to protecting children from the misuse and abuse of potentially harmful lice and scabies pesticidal treatments. As part of its mission, the NPA works to encourage our nation's health and child care professionals to adopt standardized head lice management programs in an effort to keep the children in school lice and nit free.