NPA Sponsors 21st Annual Back-to-School Head Lice Prevention Campaign: The All Out Comb Out™
Each year, the National Pediculosis Association (NPA) sponsors the All Out Comb Out-- NPA's National Head Lice Prevention Campaign for back-to-school. What is the NPAÂ’s message? Learn what to look for, and check the children for head lice and nits regularly. Early detection with thorough manual removal of lice and nits is the best approach given that there is no totally safe and effective chemical treatment available.
Needham Heights, MA (PRWEB) September 1, 2005
Each year the National Pediculosis Association (NPA) sponsors the National Head Lice Prevention Campaign for back-to-school. The NPA wants parents to learn what to look for and understand the importance of checking their children for head lice and nits (lice eggs) regularly.
Early detection with thorough manual removal of lice and nits is the best approach to managing these blood-sucking human parasites, especially since there is no totally safe and effective chemical treatment available.
What is the purpose of the All Out Comb Out? The goal of the campaign is to remind communities that Pediculosis (head lice) is a communicable disease affecting children across the nation. The NPA encourages everyone to be proactive and preventive, emphasizing the importance of early intervention and how it works to protect children from unnecessary exposure to potentially harmful pesticide shampoos and sprays.
Helpful information about this important public health issue is available at www. headlice. org along with answers to frequently asked questions and the availability of non-chemical treatment alternatives. Because knowing what to look for is key, the NPA offers parents and school officials a Free Critter Card™ which provides images of lice as one would expect to see them along with pictures to help differentiate nits from normal hair debris such as dandruff. http://www. headlice. org/special/critcard. htm (http://www. headlice. org/special/critcard. htm)
Why kick off the campaign in September? Back-to-school signals a new beginning -- an excellent time to educate parents, children and the community about head lice. Parents need to understand the communicability of head lice before outbreaks occur, how to make an accurate identification and how to remove head lice and nits (eggs) from their children in the safest and most effective way.
Armed with this knowledge, parents will avoid the dreaded call from school when someone else was first to notice their child was infested. Families and classmates will avoid the disruption that occurs when there is no public health prevention standard in place.
School systems, child care centers, hospital clinics, health departments, camps, professional organizations, hair salons, HMOs, school nurses, parents, physicians, pharmacists and thousands of individuals work cooperatively to keep head lice prevention going strong each September and every month thereafter.
Headlice. org is the #1 website on this important public health issue. It is the 24/7 one stop educational resource. The website has free downloads for family and community education, age appropriate resources and games for children in the area for kids, e-cards and photographic images of lice and nits along with access to information on the LiceMeister Comb -- the medical device known as the gold standard in combing tools -- as valuable for screening as for removing lice and nits. The website also provides teaching videos showing how to comb. http://www. headlice. org/video/index. htm (http://www. headlice. org/video/index. htm)
NPA says preparedness can't be emphasized enough. There is no need for panic or for children to miss school when parents are informed about the benefits of early detection and the fact that the lice are resisant to the majority of shampoo treatents. Parents who screen regularly can send their children to school lice and nit free: Communities that promote head lice prevention programs demonstrate a commitment to family health and wellness.
While every month is head lice prevention month, September is the month to kick off the campaign that lasts throughout the year!
"Because it is not about lice, it’s about kids™"
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